EARLY GORDON RUSSELL PIECE FOUND ON EBAY

Jean and Ray Leigh have kindly donated to the museum’s collection an early fire screen designed by Gordon Russell, a piece they discovered on eBay . The screen features a repousse decorative panel (repousse raised designs or lettering on metal and leather, very often a feature of arts and crafts work).   The frame, made in the company’s workshop, bears ‘The Gordon Russell Workshops Ltd’ metal label which dates it production between 1926/8

It is unlikely that any of the company’s craftsmen had the necessary skills in working with leather in this way whereas Gordon already had considerable expertise as he had made leather ‘Jacks’ ( traditional liquor vessels) for the Lygon Arms. Gordon would have relished the challenge of producing one of his design on this leather panel.