7th Mar, 2024 16:00
An English Fairground | The John Barker Collection
10
A carousel carved centre dropper panel by C J Spooner
c.1900, Burton-on-Trent, centred with a green-man mask surrounded by scrolling foliate detail,
76cm wide
4cm deep
23cm high
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Born in 1871, Spooner started his career as a woodcarver in the thriving Burton-on-Trent brewing industry, producing dray and hand carts. The quality of his carving work brought him to the attention of George Orton, a carriage maker who specialised in Gypsy, and later, showman wagons. This latter diversification meant that Orton had to produce increasingly ornate and decorative carriages, with them being used not only as living quarters for the travelling showmen, but with the exteriors acting as show fronts and advertising for the rides. Orton partnered with Spooner whose expertise and peerless technique as a carver led to some of the most famous rides of the age. Spooner took the tradition of the carousel mount and fused it with modern and popular references, creating rides that were carved with the faces of well-known public figures and early celebrities, an idea that is still seen in modern fairgrounds today. His set of centaurs, featuring the likenesses of prominent Boer War generals, caused such a stir upon their unveiling at the Neath fair in 1900 that they made the national press.
Sold for £1,000
Condition Report
fully restored and repainted by John Barker
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Auction: An English Fairground | The John Barker Collection, 7th Mar, 2024
This fantastic array of captivating, colourful carvings represents a lifetime's passion, pieced together over fifty years by one of the country's most avid and discerning collectors of English fairground art. John Barker bought his first horse as a child whilst on a family holiday and has never looked back. The collection includes significant works, important pieces in the history of the carousel, and items of notable rarity and quality.
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Viewing
London Viewing | Highlights
A selection of lots will be on view Wednesday 14 - Monday 26 February at our London Gallery, 15 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ, as follows:
Monday-Friday, 11.30am - 5.30pm
Saturday, 1pm - 5pm
Sunday - Closed
For more information, please contact 0203 971 2500 | london@sworder.co.uk
Stansted Viewing | Auction
Viewing will be held at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE, as follows:
Sunday 3 March, 10am - 1pm
Monday 4 March, 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 5 March, 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 6 March, 10am - 5pm
Thursday 7 March, 10am - 4pm
The auction will take place at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE.
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