Francis Skidmore

Francis Alfred Skidmore (1817 – 13 November 1896) was a British metalworker best known for high-profile commissions, including the glass and metal roof of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, the Hereford Cathedral choir screen (1862) and the Albert Memorial (1866–73) in London. Skidmore was heavily influenced by Gothic Revival style, a movement characterised by its use of medieval designs and styles. He was a member of both the Oxford Architectural Society and the Ecclesiological Society, two organisations which endorsed the Gothic Revival style. Skidmore also worked closely with architect Sir George Gilbert Scott. Their early work as silversmiths consisted primarily of church plates. The earliest known examples of Skidmore's work include three silver chalices made for St John the Baptist Church, Coventry (1845), St Giles' Church, Exhall (1845) and St Alkmund's Church, Derby (1846). The recognition he received at the Exhibition helped to stimulate his business and he soon expanded, beginning to produce other church furnishings including items in iron, brass and wood.

It was also in the 1850s that Skidmore met Sir George Gilbert Scott, a prominent architect, designer and proponent of Gothic Revival. Although Skidmore produced works for a variety of people, it was his long lasting, working relationship with Scott which resulted in several notable commissions. Skidmore worked with Scott on the Lichfield, Hereford and Salisbury cathedral screens and the Albert Memorial in London.

Later life

Near the end of his life, Skidmore's eyesight began to deteriorate and he was disabled after being hit by a carriage in London. His final years were spent in poverty in Eagle Street, Coventry. In 2000, a memorial plaque was installed at the site of Skidmore's Alma Street factory in Hillfields.

Major works

Hereford Screen, 1862, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and made by Francis SkidmoreDuring his lifetime, Francis Skidmore created works for 24 cathedrals, over 300 parish churches, 15 colleges and a number of public buildings.

Skidmore, Families of the Bl

ack Country and Birmingham 1600–1900

Some of his more prominent works are detailed below.

Cathedral screens

Lichfield

Between 1855 and 1861 Sir George Gilbert Scott restored parts of Lichfield Cathedral. Francis Skidmore and John Birnie Philip produced the new Victorian metal screen designed by Scott.

Worcester

Between 1864 and 1874 Sir George Gilbert Scott did extensive work in Worcester cathedral, mainly in the choir. Part of this was to commission a screen from Skidmore, installed in 1873 and still in place. It is rather less elaborate than the ones at Hereford and Lichfield.

Hereford

The Hereford Screen was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and made by Francis Skidmore. To complete such a large and complex structure in only four months, Skidmore took 'short cuts' and used mass production techniques. Skidmore displayed it at the International Exhibition of 1862 where it won a medal for its superior design and craftsmanship. Before conservation, the screen was in almost 14,000 individual pieces, many of which were in very poor condition. Conservation of the screen took thirteen months and cost over £800,000 which is, as of September 2011, the largest conservation project undertaken by the V&A. The Hereford Choir Screen is now on display at the V&A.

Salisbury

Sir George Gilbert Scott led the restoration of Salisbury Cathedral between 1863 – 1878. It was during this time that Skidmore created the cathedral's choir screen. In 1959, the screen was removed and most of it was destroyed. The chancel gates survived and are now in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. As of September 2011, they are on display in the Ironwork gallery, room 114a.

Work