Gibbs and Canning

Main porch of the Natural History Museum, 1881, designed by Alfred Waterhouse
Events in the Life of John Wesley, porch of the Methodist Central Hall, Birmingham, c. 1900-1903

Gibbs and Canning Limited was an English manufacturer of terracotta and, in particular, architectural terracotta, located in Glascote, Tamworth, and founded in 1847.

The company manufactured a wide range of terracotta and faience: statues of lions and pelicans to adorn the Natural History Museum in London; architectural terracotta for banks and schools; and garden urns and planters. By the 1950s, when the factory finally closed, it was best known for more practical items, such as drainage pipes, sinks, vases and jars.

Today, there is little evidence of the factory in Glascote, but the legacy lives on in the decoration and plumbing of many buildings in Britain’s major towns and cities.

Buildings featuring Gibbs and Canning terracotta

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Natural History Museum London: Every stone and statue is thought to be by Gibbs and Canning inside and out. Living animals on the one wing, and the extinct on the other.

References

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  1. ^ a b Pevsner Architectural Guides - Liverpool, Joseph Sharples, 2004, ISBN 0-300-10258-5
  2. ^ a b Pevsner Architectural Guides - Birmingham, Andy Foster, 2005, ISBN 0-300-10731-5
  3. ^ Pevsner Architectural Guides - Manchester, Clare Hartwell, 2001, ISBN 0-300-09666-6

Further reading

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  • Streluk, A. (2006) "Gibbs & Canning of Glascote, Tamworth", Glazed Expressions, No.55 Spring
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