uprooted fence
by neville ward
large framed watercolour on card
date of creation 1985
painting size h 375mm x w 370mm
overall frame size h 525mm x w 510mm x d 55mm
neville ward architect and designer (1922 - 1989 )
educated at wade deacon grammar school, widnes, he graduated from liverpool university school of architecture and was admitted an associate of the royal institute of british architects (1944). he then read town planning at edinburgh college of art.
from 1946 - 1948 neville ward worked with gordon russell on the board of trade furniture design panel.
from 1948 he went into partnership with his wife mary and frank austin. they worked on a number of overseas exhibitions for the board of trade, their partnership soon discovered a demand for new thinking on the design of ships’ interiors. long standing clients included the blue funnel line and the orient line.
his work ranged from interiors to exhibitions, from pianos to decorative laminated plastics. in 1946 he designed a bedroom for the britain can make it exhibition . in 1949 neville designed a living room looking through into a dining room for the ideal home exhibition, a design feature we are all familiar with today. he designed the thames-side restaurant at the festival of britain (1951). ward designed the design centre, haymarket (1956) and the british carpet centre, regent street (1967).
when hrh queen elizabeth ii commissioned hugh casson rdi to refurbish guest rooms and suites at windsor castle, including one in the style of the 1950s, casson called on ward to design special bedroom furniture for this room.
elected a fellow of the rsa (frsa) in 1955 and rsa council member (1965-70)
he was appointed royal designer for industry (rdi) in 1971 and when he became master in 1977 he once again served on the council.
he also served on the council of the royal college of art (rca) was greatly involved with the society of industrial artists and designers (siad) to which he had been elected in 1948, and served as their president in 1967.
oh.. and he was quite good at painting too.
