For those that know the Artificers Guild archive held at Goldsmith Hall Library, it contains thousands of wonderful sketches and water colour designs of the Guild. Nearly all are clearly by Edward Spencer and John Bonnor and date from the period after 1909 when Spencer took over the Guild. On a recent trip to the Archive I found this sketch of what is very clearly Nelson and Edith Dawson brooches. These must date to c 1901/2 in the brief period when the Dawson’s established the Guild and prior to 1902 when Spencer and Montague Fordham took over. It strongly suggests that at least some of these pieces were not “just” by the Dawsons but also by the Artificers Guild and based on the inscribed notes made in multiples – in this case of two and four. Photo credit “Artifcers Guild Archive,ref AC/1/1/1/3/114. Courtesy of the Goldsmiths Company Library and Archive”
