Nurser stool.

[dave moore]

I was extremely fortunate recently to come across a cabin stool in a local vintage store, especially as it was painted by Frank Nurser of Braunston. It’s a most welcome addition to my collection of historic ware. As many will know, Nurser enjoyed a fine reputation and his work is very collectible.

 

[magnetman]

How pleasant. 

Is that plywood?

[alan_fincher]

That is particularly special.

 

Probably an optical illusion, but it  looks like there is a horizontal and a vertical line coming together at a right angle near the bottom right of the flowers.  Am I imagining it, or was it perhaps all painted over the top of something else?

[dave moore]

Well spotted Alan!

Ive just had a good look at the top and, yes, there is a rectangular panel beneath the swag of flowers. It may well have carried a landscape previously. Magnet man, the stool is softwood, certainly not ply. I wouldn’t expect ply to be used in the period it was made.

[magnetman]

I just thought it looked a bit odd where the white paint is coming through bottom right of the roses area. 

[Stellar2lw]

A great find Dave,  must have been your lucky day. 

[Stroudwater1]

18 hours ago, dave moore said:

Well spotted Alan!

Ive just had a good look at the top and, yes, there is a rectangular panel beneath the swag of flowers. It may well have carried a landscape previously. Magnet man, the stool is softwood, certainly not ply. I wouldn’t expect ply to be used in the period it was made.

That’s a great find, must be really pleased to spot it. Is there a specific colour way or the exceedingly good painting itself or something in the design that shouts Nurser? 
 

what sort of era was this from? I had thought ply quite a common wood used from the early 1950s, at one time it was felt to be rsthrr an upmarket wood without the problems of warping. 

[Derek R.]

20 hours ago, magnetman said:

How pleasant. 

Is that plywood?

Had it been ply, it would have disintegrate long ago.

This was painted on plywood in the 1980's, and photographed here 20yrs later.

 

[David Schweizer]

45 minutes ago, Derek R. said:

Had it been ply, it would have disintegrate long ago.

This was painted on plywood in the 1980's, and photographed here 20yrs later.

 

 

Not neccessarily. Below is a photo of a plywood panel painted by Ron Hough in the 1980's. There is some deterioration of the timber surface, but regular light sanding and a coat of varnish has preserved it quite well.

 

 

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by David Schweizer

[Derek R.]

True. My piece was exposed to the elements. Big difference!

[John Brightley]

Hi Dave. Like @Stroudwater1, I'm curious to know why you're confident it's by Frank Nurser, rather than say Ron Hough or Dennis Clarke, who all worked at Braunston. How can we tell them apart ? Thanks.

[David Schweizer]

4 hours ago, John Brightley said:

Hi Dave. Like @Stroudwater1, I'm curious to know why you're confident it's by Frank Nurser, rather than say Ron Hough or Dennis Clarke, who all worked at Braunston. How can we tell them apart ? Thanks.

 

 

I'm not sure that it is appropriate to ask Dave's why he is confident that the stool is Frank Nurser's work, Dave has possibly the best informed archive of traditional painter's work in the country. As for Ron Hough and Dennis Clarke, whilst they were both trained by, and worked for Frank Nurser, they both have their own quite distinctive style and the table illustrated is quite cetainly not the work of either Ron Hough or Dennis Clarke.

 

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by David Schweizer

[John Brightley]

6 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 

I'm not sure that it is appropriate to ask Dave's why he is confident that the stool is Frank Nurser's work, Dave has possibly the best informed archive of traditional painter's work in the country. As for Ron Hough and Dennis Clarke, whilst they were both trained by, and worked for Frank Nurser, they both have their own quite distinctive style and the table illustrated is quite cetainly not the work of either Ron Hough or Dennis Clarke.

Hi David. I'm not doubting Dave's knowledge -we are good friends. I'm just interested to learn the differences between the different artists.

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, John Brightley said:

Hi David. I'm not doubting Dave's knowledge -we are good friends. I'm just interested to learn the differences between the different artists.

 

Even as a layman just looking at the whole thing and taking in the overall 'feel' of it, I can see how different the style of the hand that painted the stool is from the style of the hand that painted the door panel (Ron Hough). 

 

Pleasinglyl, I have a Ron Hough watercan I paid £15 for.

[David Schweizer]

9 minutes ago, John Brightley said:

Hi David. I'm not doubting Dave's knowledge -we are good friends. I'm just interested to learn the differences between the different artists.

 

May I suggest that you aquire a copy of Tony Lewery's book "Flowers afloat" he features the work of many boat decorators including Dennis Clarke, Ron Hough and Frank Nurser, along with many others.

 

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by David Schweizer

[dave moore]

Having been involved in canals and associated painting since I was a teen, I’ve acquired the ability to identify the work of some past painters and Frank Nurser is one of them. As soon as I picked up the stool it screamed Nurser to me, I’ve another example of his work here in similar vein. I too endorse Flowers Afloat for anyone interested in the subject. We painters all have characteristic ways of doing things, an unconscious signature to the work. I’ve met many customers subsequently who have told me

” I was in Coventry/ London/ Audlem/ anywhere….when another boater told them….Dave Moore did that for you”

Occasionally, I’m asked to sign a bit of work. I always decline saying that the work itself is the signature

The timber issue. Frank Nurser died in 1953, I think, so it’s likely that the stool dates from the 40s or so. I’m not sure when plywood became commonly used but I’ve seen little evidence of its use in historic craft with original structures. Others will have more precise knowledge. I don’t recall seeing a cabin stool from working days made from ply. I used to use it to make stools, but it was a pain to fill the endgrain voids, unless I used expensive birch ply. My last few have all been pine.

[David Schweizer]

2 hours ago, dave moore said:

Having been involved in canals and associated painting since I was a teen, I’ve acquired the ability to identify the work of some past painters and Frank Nurser is one of them. As soon as I picked up the stool it screamed Nurser to me, I’ve another example of his work here in similar vein. I too endorse Flowers Afloat for anyone interested in the subject. We painters all have characteristic ways of doing things, an unconscious signature to the work. I’ve met many customers subsequently who have told me

” I was in Coventry/ London/ Audlem/ anywhere….when another boater told them….Dave Moore did that for you”

Occasionally, I’m asked to sign a bit of work. I always decline saying that the work itself is the signature

The timber issue. Frank Nurser died in 1953, I think, so it’s likely that the stool dates from the 40s or so. I’m not sure when plywood became commonly used but I’ve seen little evidence of its use in historic craft with original structures. Others will have more precise knowledge. I don’t recall seeing a cabin stool from working days made from ply. I used to use it to make stools, but it was a pain to fill the endgrain voids, unless I used expensive birch ply. My last few have all been pine.

 

A bit    but machine maufactured plywood has been in use commercially since the mid 19th century, although I believe hand cut ply was first used by the Ancient Egyptians. Three ply sheeting has been used in car manufacturing from the earliest days for lining the insides of door panels, usually covered with thin leather or leather substitute. I can well remember helping a friend search for sheets of original 1/8" birch ply when he was restoring the bodywork of his 1920's Armstrong Siddeley. Apparently even though it was almost identical to 3mm ply, and would be covered in rexine, metric ply would not satisfy the vintage car enthusiasts.

 

 

Edited March 5, 2023 by David Schweizer

[dave moore]

Thanks David. I thought you would know!

[Stroudwater1]

11 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

 

May I suggest that you aquire a copy of Tony Lewery's book "Flowers afloat" he features the work of many boat decorators including Dennis Clarke, Ron Hough and Frank Nurser, along with many others.

 

 

Thanks for that suggestion David, and it’s on its way 👍
Like John I was in no way doubting Daves wisdom at all but wishing to learn more. 

I doubt that the book will impart anything like the wisdom and knowledge that Dave has and to me learning more of these historical greats and their subtle differences in techniques to spot would have been useful. 
 

There’s a thread here regarding historic archive loss from people with much knowledge or material no longer preserved . Perish the thought but it would be nice for Daves knowledge to be imparted to as wide an audience as possible before it ever is too late. (I appreciate he’s doing a good job that way) 

Sadly given the diminishing number of boats with a rose or castle let alone scumble anywhere near it I fear the audience is dwindling and any awareness of past skills needs cherishing and passing on where possible.