1991.1016.111.2

Philip Norman (architect)

Letter dated 4th October 1906 from Philip Norman to Emery Walker. Norman writes to say that a painiting of Paradise Row, Chelsea for Reginald Blunt is ready for EW, likewise the proofs and plans of the Gothic building at Rotherhithe. Norman dismisses a proposed memorial to Shakespeare as 'utter rot' Found inserted in the book, London Vanished and Vanishing by Norman, Philip, when acquired by the museum, shelf J21. Part of the Emery Walker Library.

London

1906-10-04 - 1906-10-04

Arts & Crafts, 20th century

letter, press cutting

Letter from Philip Norman to Emery Walker dated 4th October 1906. Found in London Vanished and Vanishing by Philip Norman 45 Evelyn Gardens SW Oct 4. 1906 Dear Emery Walker, The little painting of Paradise Row, Chelsea (for Reginald Blunt)[i] awaits you. I now enclose the proofs of the plans and drawings of the Gothic building at Rotherthithe. There is one missing, the block of which however you would also have to get, as it has the scale wrong, as is the case with five out of the eight which I enclose. It is taken from the ordnance survey and would come first. I have marked the sequence of those that succeed, and have also made various notes on them which explain themselves [inserted] or rather should do so. If however you want further explanation I will call and see you. All the scales that are wrong have the same mistake. I ought to have detected it when the draftsman brought the originals, but I took it for granted that these would be right. As to correcting the error, it is rather difficult. The simplest way would be to cut off the offending figures but I don’t know if this would look queer, At any rate there could then be confusion. I am afraid I must leave the matter to your common sense. Some weeks (or I suppose now months) ago, you reproduced or produced a little plan of the Roman wall of London from one of my plans. I wonder if, with proper acknowledgment of course, this plan could be utilised for my paper on the Roman wall of London for the forthcoming volume of the London Topographical Society. If so it would be a decided boon. Of course I had to propose that Ordish[ii] be made Vice President & that he (who was burning to do so)should be persuaded if possible to deliver an address at the approaching meeting. I did this with great reluctance as you know, but short of making myself distinctly unpleasant, there was no other course open to me. I do hope he won’t drag in his proposed Shakespeare memorial, which is to my mind utter rot. “What needs my Shakespeare for his honoured bones”? & c. Apart from that, in the present condition of arthow can a worthy memorial to Shakespeare or any great man be produced? Their memorial lies in the work they have done and the example they have set us. But perhaps this is all too obvious to be worth repeating Yours ever Philip Norman[iii] [Footnotes: [i]Reginald Blunt (1857 – 1944) was the author of, inter alia, ‘Paradise Row : Or a Broken Piece of Old Chelsea-the Curious & Diverting Annals of a Famous Village Street Newly Destroyed’ first published by Macmillan in 1906. [ii]Thomas Fairman Ordish (1855 – 1924) was a man who, over the years, developed passionate interests in such topics as London antiquities and social life, Shakespeare, early London theatres, and subsequently traditional drama. He was Vice-President of the London Topographical Society from 1906 until 1920. [iii]Philip E Norman (1842 – 1931) was an artist, author and antiquary CAW]