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NEWLYN The Newlyn Industrial Class Art Metalwork Fishing in Newlyn, as elsewhere, was an unreliable source of income and the hardships suffered by the people were of concern to the local artists. The community had always supplemented its income with crafts connected with seafaring, but the influence of several artists together with the financial support of T. B. Bolitho, the Liberal MP, led to the establishment of organised craft tuition in the village, and in time, a self supporting repousse metalwork industry. | |
 Young Apprentice Newlyn Copperworks S A Forbes 1908 |
Much of the influence for this came from the Arts and Crafts Movement which was concerned with the notion of 'the dignity of manual work' and the promotion and preservation of craftsmanship in the face of the increasing industrialisation in the late 19th century. |
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John D MacKenzie is credited with being the instigator of the Newlyn Copper Industry. He arrived in 1888 as a painter and illustrator and in 1890 founded the Newlyn Industrial Class, instructing local people in metalwork; enamelling and embroidery, classes were run by the painter Reginald Dick and his wife. Other artists involved in the project were T. C. Gotch and Percy Craft. The Industrial Class was enriched by the contribution of John Pearson, a skilled artist and designer who was invited to Newlyn in 1892 to teach at the class. He had previously worked with William de Morgan producing decorative tiles, the patterns of which were later reproduced in his copper work designs. With C. R. Ashbee he had been a founding member of the Guild of Handicraft at Whitechapel, London. His techniques and skills greatly influenced MacKenzie and his associates. However, it was MacKenzie who was largely responsible for what was to become known as Newlyn Copper, designing patterns associated with the village and its industries in a naturalistic style which has much in common with the painting of the Newlyn School. In 1895 the new Newlyn Art Gallery was graced with a facade decorated by Philip Hodder of the Industrial Class and in 1899 their work was exhibited in the Albert Hall by the Home Arts and Industries Association.  Newlyn Copper c.1895 MacKenzie died in 1918 and from then on the style of the class changed. Their heyday was over and the best work had in the main already been produced. Probably the two most important figures in the class' history other than that of the founders are Tom Batten and Johnny Payne Cotton. They took over from MacKenzie and restarted production in 1920. The painting by Stanhope Forbes 'The Young Apprentice, Newlyn Copperworks' depicts a young Johnny Payne Cotton being instructed by J. D. MacKenzie. The Industrial Class ceased production in 1939 with the outbreak of World War II. Tom Batten died in 1949, while Johnny Payne Cotton restarted production in the 1950s with John C. Laity at Morrab Studio, Penzance. Newlyn Jewellery Instruction was given by Reginald Dick in enamelling in the same premises as used by the Coppersmiths. Mrs. Lionel Birch said in 1907 "...in a quiet little quadrangle round a flower set court, in studios under the windows of which the surf dashes up and breaks - one finds the flashing beauty of sapphire and topaz and amethyst in the enamels of Mr. Dick; and the ring of hammer on beaten metal as copper and silver and brass are fashioned into forms of quaint and beautiful designs under the direction of Mr. J. D. MacKenzie. Newlyn enamels were available on the work of Newlyn Coppersmiths but it is better known as jewellery. The jewellery is quite often of Art Nouveau design but the most common motifs are shells, fish and flowers. The work of the class was sold alongside Newlyn Copper. It is not known when production ceased but as late as 1927 it was still being advertised as available. | |
