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| George Bullock (c. 1783-1818*) , sculptor, with bust of Henry Blundell, 1808, by Joseph Allen. Walker Art Gallery (WAG 8532). |
This is a post I wrote several years ago for a website about British craft, but there are some aspects of Birmingham history that might be of interest here. Little is known of George Bullock's early years, but during his teenage years, perfecting his craft, he likely lived in Birmingham. Even less is known of his talented mother who ran a travelling museum of wax figures, seemingly settling in Birmingham, and from whom George likely learnt his skills in sculpture.
Mrs. Bullock advertised her travelling exhibition in newspapers across the country throughout 1794 such as in Stamford in March, Birmingham in May, and Chester in October. In each stated that she had 'just arrived with a most beautiful Cabinet of WAX FIGURES' which were 'the full Size of Life'.** These were waxworks in the manner Madame Tussaud made famous. Visitors to Bullock's travelling museum could see the King, Queen and other royals, the 'unfortunate Royal Family of France' (who had been executed in 1793), notable politicians, Catherine Empress of Russia, and Dr. Franklyn [sic] of America. In every advert Mrs. Bullock noted that her stay in the town would be 'very short', encouraging customers to visit before she left, and that visitors should not bring their dogs, suggesting a previous dog-related incident.** Mrs. Bullock toured her exhibition again as in October 1800 'Mrs. Bullock's collection of wax figures' was advertised in Hull, but she also seems to have settled for a period in Birmingham as in March 1797 'Mrs. Bullock and Son' were advertised as providing modelling and drawing lessons at 29 Bull Street in Birmingham.*3* George was about fourteen.
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| Henry Blundell by Edward Scriven, taken from a bust by George Bullock, stipple engraving, 1804. National Portrait Gallery, NPG D31923. |
It was with his mother that George Bullock certainly learned to sculpt figures, as the making of wax works required skilled artistry, despite it often being undermined as an artform. George was a young talent and his sculpted work was included in the 1798 exhibition at the Royal Society, including busts of H. Blundell (image above), W. Roscoe and H. R. H. the Duke of Gloucester.*4* He was probably only about sixteen, and his young age is asserted in a lament included in the Birmingham newspapers on a 'Mr. Bullock's', almost certainly George Bullock's, desire to remove to London. It was noted that his 'age does not exceed twenty' and that the young Bullock was thought alone in English artists to both model and paint likenesses.*5*
Despite this, George Bullock appeared in Birmingham trade directories till 1801, so he may not have removed to London after all, but he had moved to Liverpool by 1804.
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| Advertisement for George Bullock's Grecian Rooms. Gore's Liverpool General Advisor, 5 September 1805. |
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| Pair of 'Griffin Tripod' stands, marked 'W. BULLOCK PUB 1 JUNE 1805'. Museum of Fine Arts (Boston) Collection |
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| Detail of the mount of the tripods, above.* |
George's partnership with Stoakes was dissolved in February 1806.*9* He later, in 1809, extended the furniture trade when he went into partnership with the architect Joseph Gandy in Liverpool, as in December that year they advertised for '40 to 50 Cabinet Makers' and 'two or three good Carvers in Wood'.*10* George wrote of Gandy 'I have now called in the aid and assistance of a very clever man [...] whose professional abilities and system of business, will enable me to conduct and accomplish every thing I wish in my undertaking'.*11* In 1810 Bullock and Gandy appeared in Gore's Directory of Liverpool under the broad description of 'architects, modellers, sculptors, marble masons, cabinet makers and upholsters 55 Church Street'.*12* The partnership was short-lived and ended that year.*13*
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| One of a pair of candelabra by George Bullock. Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool (Artfund). |
George's trade was extending into what we would call interior design today, where he designed a variety of furnishings, with the skills to make the finest of them, but also utilising the craftsmanship of others. In 1808 he worked for James Watt Junior, son of the James Watt of steam engine fame, as he moved from The Rookery to Thornhill, both in Handsworth. Not only did George provide fine furniture for Watt, he also had discussions with his father in combining George's artistic skill and Watt's technological innovation in the manufacture of two bronze heads using Watt's 'sculpturing machine'. Watt was clearly pleased with George's work as he remained a customer till the latter's death in 1818.*14*
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| London Courier and Evening Gazette, 8 June 1814. |
George moved to London in about 1812.*15* His brother, William, had removed his museum from Liverpool to London's Piccadilly late in 1809, and initially George set up at William's museum, before moving to Tenderden Street with workshops attached on Oxford Street, in 1814.*16* In this new endeavour George partnered with Charles Fraser, who offered the money of the enterprise rather than any skill in making. George's workshops included his Mona Marble Works, such as in the manufacture of chimney pieces, and his cabinet making shops. It seems that George considered himself a sculptor first and foremost as he declared 'I am a sculptor, but carry on the cabinet making business as well' at the Old Bailey when some lead was stolen from his workshops.*17* George passed away suddenly in 1818, aged only 35.*18* After his decease, his recent 'rapid & enormous increase in business' was noted, 'beyond the capital perhaps, & by money affairs being thrown by some leazing [sic] perplexity by the fantastic & unmanageable conduct of the monied partner, Colenel Frazer [sic] an old crackbrained east indian jackass’.*19* After George's death Fraser unsurprisingly sold off the business which, as friends stated 'owed its existence [...] & its peculiar excellence entirely to the personal talent and activity to poor Bullock'.*20*
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| Burr oak and ebony inlaid side cabinet, c. 1815, marked G. Bullock. Sold at Sotheby's for £13,750 in 2011. |
George was obviously a highly capable craftsman, from a family of skilled craftspeople, whose talents were obvious from a very young age. He was an excellent sculptor, but was also highly influential in the Regency style.
The (Usually) Anonymous Craftspeople
It is the big names which are usually remembered and not the hundreds and thousands of craftsmen and women whose hands help make these goods. Lesser-known men and women are named here:
- William Stanford was a carpenter at Bullock's Mona Marble Works in 1816. He had a wife and family and lodged at the Bag of Nails public house in Pimlico.*a1*
© Jenni Dixon (University of Birmingham) 2021. All text belongs to the author (jenni.a.dixon@gmail.com).
* George Bullock's birth year (1783) is estimated from his age being recorded as 35 at his death in 1818. St George, Hanover Square, London, George Bullock of Tenterden Street, buried 8 May 1818, age 35. Parish registers digitised online on Ancestry; several online accounts give George's parents as James and Sibylla.