Collection: P F Anson

Description

Pen and ink sketches and drawings of exteriors and interiors of Roman Catholic churches in England, Scotland, Ireland and Europe, and some High Anglican churches in England. The main numbered set consists mainly of exteriors of English and Irish churches. The collection includes a detailed series of illustrations of high altars and the fixtures and fittings found within a Roman Catholic Church and associated with the Catholic liturgy. In addition, there are examples of church floor plans, standard designs for confessionals, altars and lecterns, and drawings of plate, priests' robes, fonts.

Many of the drawings were published in the Universe, a Roman Catholic newspaper, cuttings from which are commonly attached to the reverse of the artworks.

Archival History

Peter Frederick Anson (b1899 - d1975) was an artist and illustrator, later becoming a monk, and the author of 'Fashions in Church Furnishings' (1960). Many of the illustrations were used in his book. The drawings of English churches were also reproduced in the Universe in a regular column entitled variously 'A Pilgrim's Sketch Book', 'The Caravan Pilgrim', and 'Lancashire Pilgrimage'. Cuttings showing the drawing together with a short historical narrative by Anson are frequently attached to the backs of the drawings.

The collection was acquired by the National Buildings Record (NBR) between 1966 and 1971. Mention is made of the acquisition in NBR Annual Report for 1966-1971: "From PFA we have received a number of drawings made in connexion with his well-known studies of the architectural setting of church ritual".

Much of the original archival structure has been retained. There are four principal series of drawings, the largest of which comprises sketches of English Roman Catholic churches (PFA01/01); the others include designs of fixtures and fittings (PFA01/02), foreign locations (PFA01/04) and a small group of unidentified sites (PFA01/03). Most of the drawings are annotated with site details and are usually signed in full or with initials. Temporary accession numbers in pencil, eg PFA20, have been replaced with National Monuments Record drawing codes.

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Rights

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