"banner, Operative Bricklayers Society, Watford Branch" [NBS I/D 347]

Catalogue Number
NBS I/D 347

Object Name
banner

Title
OPERATIVE BRICKLAYERS SOCIETY WATFORD BRANCH

Place
Watford & Hertfordshire & England & UK

People
artisans; craftsmen: bricklayers

Date
circa 1888, c.1910? NM

Creator(s)
NBS National Museum of Labour HistoryNBS National Museum of Labour History

Description
The union was founded in 1833, and split into two sections, the London Order and the Manchester Order, in 1848.

The banner design is a replica of the union emblem drawn by A. J. Waudby in the 1860s. The complex design depicts the 'first bricklayers' building the Tower of Babel.

A feature of the banner was the beautiful pole tops, silver trowels in place of the familiar brass-coloured spearheads, now in the museum collection. They were presented to the union by the well-known company of W. H. S. Hunt & Sons, Brades, in 1888.

The banner was conserved in the museum's Textile Conservation Studio in 1994.

Materials: Double sided simple layer silk fabric banner. Ground of twill woven silk with borders of plain woven yellow silk. Oil painted images on each side.



The Bricklayers branch banners always used the Waudby logo design and depicted a prominent local contemporary building on which their members woorked, or occasionally a historical significant building. (eg Derby branch has the Silk Mill.) This one has Watford Town Hall and other local buildings in the roundels.

I rather doubt the early date (1888) that John Gorman gave to this banner. Tuthill made banners from the 19thc are rare, because of their built in obselesenece so I'd say it was c.1910. NM, 3.11.15

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