Detail View: SHIMMER: Bainbridge Building

Bainbridge Building

1894

2001

19th century

Sheffield, South Yorkshire

ENGLAND, UK

stone

not known ; WEBSTER, J.D.

01-2802

View of carvings over main door (Left) Artist or Writer ; (Right) Sculptor. There are other carved panels and heads decorating the rest of facades of the building

Location: Bainbridge Building (now The Halifax Building), on the corner of Surrey Street and Norfolk Street, Sheffield City Centre.
Google maps < https://goo.gl/maps/VtWnB > .

Description: Decorated heads and foliage on the outside of the building between the ground and first floors. Above the door, and partly hidden by a canopy, are two rectangular carved panels, separated by a scroll supporting an upper bay window. The left hand panel shows a woman writing or drawing in a book. In front of her is a lamp on the top of a column, behind her a singing bird on another. The right hand panel shows a sculptor (male?) holding a mallet and chisel. The stand in front of him holds a bust, the one behind has a book on it which is topped by a miniature column. Behind the sculptor is a column with a box and three chisels ? on it.
A doorway on Norfolk Street at the end of the building, the entrance to the upper floors, has a decorative carving above it and the inscription: "The Jeffie Bainbridge Children's Shelter".

Commission: The building was built from money donated by Emerson Bainbridge JP, a mining engineer and philanthropist, after his wife Jeffie died.1 It was erected as a memorial to her and opened by the Duke and Duchess of Portland on 28th December 1894. The ground floor consisted of shops which were let out to tenants, the first floor formed a shelter for children and the second floor was given to The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (of which Bainbridge was a committee member). The architect was J.D.Webster.[2]

Comment: Emerson Bainbridge also donated money to build the Y.M.C.A. buildings on Fargate. It is not known why the particular subject matter was chosen for the panels above the entrance to this building.

References:
[1] 'The Unseen, the Unsightly and the Amusing in Sheffield' by J.E.Vickers. p.33
[2] Sheffield Telegraph, 1894.

© Sheffield Hallam University

For educational use only. This image may be used in print or digital materials provided that full acknowledgment is given, expressed as follows: " © < insert details from the 'Rights' field >. Photographed by < insert details from the 'Photographed by' field >."

Public art in Sheffield. For more information see < http://public-art.shu.ac.uk/sheffield/ >.

Dave Ball

not known

Sculptor.

WEBSTER, John Dodsley

1840

1913

Architect.

Male.

British.

Universities and colleges -- England -- Sheffield

Public art -- England -- Sheffield

Sculpture -- England -- Sheffield

Gates -- England -- Sheffield

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