It was relatively recently that I came across this designer when I was researching for my post on Celtic design jewellery back in August 2014. read here
His name is Archibald Knox and although his designs were pretty well known in their time he has sadly started to fall into the background. This year is the 150th anniversary of his birth and effort has been made by various societies to do events to celebrate the man. I think that is wonderful because it is such a waste if we forget about such a talented individual. He is slowly starting to gain interest again and it is said even the actor, Brad Pitt has a collection of his works.
He was raised on the Isle of Man by his Scottish father and Manx mother. They had a large family and where successful on the island, they where even the first family to introduce the motorcar to the island. The Isle of Man's Celtic roots fascinated Knox, such as the intertwined details of the Norse and Celtic Crosses, He was expected he would join his fathers business like his brothers before him but instead he moved away from the isle of Man to teach and joined Liberty and Co's Silver Studio where he made some of his best known pieces.
Unfortunately Liberty and Co did not say who made each piece instead keeping the designers names anonymous so they could build their own brand up. It's a shame they did this, it is probably the reason he's not as well known as he should be but as far as I can see Knox liked it that way. He was shy and didn't like a fuss made so it suited him.
At age 18 he began teaching at his former school, Douglas grammar school, it was here he met his lifelong friend A J Collister. He moved on to be a pupil teacher with his friend at Douglas School of Art and after ten years he was awarded an art Masters Certificate. In 1897 he began teaching at Redhill School Of Art with his friend who was now principal of the school having himself been awarded a London Diploma. It was during this time that Knox had also started work at Liberty and Co and he befriended the director Harry Napper. By 1899 Archibald Knox was the main designer for Liberty and Co 'Cymric' and 'Tudric' Celtic range of metalwork's. His designs where made in a Celtic revival style and used the whiplash design used in art nouveau designs. (read here for what is Art Nouveau?) He used a natural design and would use a leaf as a heart or geometric designs.
All the pieces where made from silver or sometimes gold and inlayed with enamel, turquoise matrix or one of my favourites, mother of pearl. Another piece he would use in designs was opal, another stone I love and wish I could use more of in my own designs.
From here he returned to the Isle of Man and lived in Sulby and kept working for Liberty and Co. This was his most prolific period of his life making more than 700 jewellery designs among his other work of water colours, terracotta garden ornaments, carpets, wallpaper, fabrics and other household items. For Example this box in the picture below, I love that box and if I had the money would buy it up in a heartbeat. It's beautiful!
In 1904 he returned to London working various teaching jobs in the surrey area. 1912 he resigned from one of these jobs at Kingston On Thames allegedly due to an adverse inspectors report and moved to America. His students at the school where horrified to find there beloved teacher had thrown his drawings in to a bin in a rage before leaving and they decided to rescue the pieces. The students resigned en masse and set up the 'Knox Guild of Design and Craft' which existed until 1937. They held demonstrations and exhibitions over the years to promote Knox's view of Art and Design.
Archibald Knox only stayed in America a year before returning in 1913 to the Isle of Man, it was here he spent the rest of his life teaching and painting watercolours. Only being interrupted from this during War time when he worked for the post office.
In 1933 he died aged 69 from a heart attack at his family home in the Isle of Man. He was buried at New Braddan Cemetery.
His gravestone reads:
His name is Archibald Knox and although his designs were pretty well known in their time he has sadly started to fall into the background. This year is the 150th anniversary of his birth and effort has been made by various societies to do events to celebrate the man. I think that is wonderful because it is such a waste if we forget about such a talented individual. He is slowly starting to gain interest again and it is said even the actor, Brad Pitt has a collection of his works.
He was raised on the Isle of Man by his Scottish father and Manx mother. They had a large family and where successful on the island, they where even the first family to introduce the motorcar to the island. The Isle of Man's Celtic roots fascinated Knox, such as the intertwined details of the Norse and Celtic Crosses, He was expected he would join his fathers business like his brothers before him but instead he moved away from the isle of Man to teach and joined Liberty and Co's Silver Studio where he made some of his best known pieces.
Unfortunately Liberty and Co did not say who made each piece instead keeping the designers names anonymous so they could build their own brand up. It's a shame they did this, it is probably the reason he's not as well known as he should be but as far as I can see Knox liked it that way. He was shy and didn't like a fuss made so it suited him.
At age 18 he began teaching at his former school, Douglas grammar school, it was here he met his lifelong friend A J Collister. He moved on to be a pupil teacher with his friend at Douglas School of Art and after ten years he was awarded an art Masters Certificate. In 1897 he began teaching at Redhill School Of Art with his friend who was now principal of the school having himself been awarded a London Diploma. It was during this time that Knox had also started work at Liberty and Co and he befriended the director Harry Napper. By 1899 Archibald Knox was the main designer for Liberty and Co 'Cymric' and 'Tudric' Celtic range of metalwork's. His designs where made in a Celtic revival style and used the whiplash design used in art nouveau designs. (read here for what is Art Nouveau?) He used a natural design and would use a leaf as a heart or geometric designs.
All the pieces where made from silver or sometimes gold and inlayed with enamel, turquoise matrix or one of my favourites, mother of pearl. Another piece he would use in designs was opal, another stone I love and wish I could use more of in my own designs.
From here he returned to the Isle of Man and lived in Sulby and kept working for Liberty and Co. This was his most prolific period of his life making more than 700 jewellery designs among his other work of water colours, terracotta garden ornaments, carpets, wallpaper, fabrics and other household items. For Example this box in the picture below, I love that box and if I had the money would buy it up in a heartbeat. It's beautiful!
In 1904 he returned to London working various teaching jobs in the surrey area. 1912 he resigned from one of these jobs at Kingston On Thames allegedly due to an adverse inspectors report and moved to America. His students at the school where horrified to find there beloved teacher had thrown his drawings in to a bin in a rage before leaving and they decided to rescue the pieces. The students resigned en masse and set up the 'Knox Guild of Design and Craft' which existed until 1937. They held demonstrations and exhibitions over the years to promote Knox's view of Art and Design.
Archibald Knox only stayed in America a year before returning in 1913 to the Isle of Man, it was here he spent the rest of his life teaching and painting watercolours. Only being interrupted from this during War time when he worked for the post office.
In 1933 he died aged 69 from a heart attack at his family home in the Isle of Man. He was buried at New Braddan Cemetery.
His gravestone reads:
'Archibald Knox
Artist
Humble servant of God in the ministry of the beautiful.'
On the 4th April 2014 as part of the 150th Anniversary of Knox's birth, the Isle of Man announced they would be issuing a special set of 10 stamps through the isle of Man post Office featuring some of his watercolour designs.
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