Forging Art: Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry


From casting monumental statues like those in Westminster’s Parliament Square, to exporting bronze works worldwide, Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry’s impact reverberated across continents.

Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry's workforce, standing in the workshop in front of a recently finished statue of General Buller by Adrian Jones, 1920.Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry's workforce, standing in the workshop in front of a recently finished statue of General Buller by Adrian Jones, 1920.

1874 to 2024

In 2024, Elmbridge Museum is marking the 150th anniversary of the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry, an integral part of our local heritage. At the Foundry, bronze was melted down and poured into hollow moulds (also made at the Foundry) in order to create artwork, statues, plaques and other items.

Situated on Summer Road, Elmbridge’s historic Bronze Foundry stood as a testament to craftsmanship and innovation since its establishment in 1874 by Cox & Sons. Over the years, it passed through the hands of notable owners like Arthur Bryan Burton, who employed large teams of talented metalworkers and left his unique mark on the foundry’s legacy.

Featuring a significant contribution from the descendants of Edwin Joseph Packham – a key figure in the foundry’s history – this exhibition delves into its rich tapestry of achievements and milestones. From casting monumental statues like those in Westminster’s Parliament Square, to exporting bronze works worldwide, the Foundry’s impact reverberated across continents. Here, we explore its remarkable journey, celebrating its enduring influence on art, industry, and our community.

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Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry, Summer Road, c. early 1900s.Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry, Summer Road, c. early 1900s.

The Story of the Foundry

Positioned on Summer Road in Thames Ditton, just bordering Greater London, the Thames Ditton Foundry is thought to have been erected on the grounds of a historic melting house beside the River Thames.

The site transitioned through various hands over the years. Initially founded in 1874 by Cox & Sons, distinguished ecclesiastical furnishing suppliers, the foundry specialized in casting bronze ornaments and statues. From 1880, the Foundry saw successive changes in management, firstly being taken over by Drew & Co. (1880–82), then Moore & Co. (1882–97), then being bought jointly by Arthur Hollinshead and Arthur Burton in 1897. On the death of Hollinshead in 1902, Burton became the sole owner of the foundry. It was to remain under his management until his own death 1933, but even then, the foundry continued to operate under Burton’s name under the management of his son in law, Louis Tricker, until the start of the Second World War in 1939.

When the war broke out, Tricker did not want to see the Foundry requisitioned for the manufacture of munitions, so it closed. In the 1940s, it was used by London Metal Warehouses for making industrial castings, and then by Metal Centres Ltd as a metal warehouse. The building was then sold to the District Council in 1972 and demolished in 1976, although a blue plaque is in place on the new building to mark the site’s history.

See the full Bronze Foundry timeline here

The Foundry Building & Crane

These plans show the foundry in 1874, when it was opened in Summer Road. A purpose-built gantry crane was installed within the premises when it first opened, to enable the lifting of heavy bronze pieces. The crane was hand-operated, and straddled the entire workspace. When in operation, it could move across the whole foundry floor. An article in the ‘Foundry Trade Journal’ from 7th September 1972 described the crane and how it worked:

“Baulks of timber 13-in. sq. run the length of each side of the building. These are set upon brick pillars at a height of some 18 ft. Recessed into the timbers are steel rails, and upon these the gantry is free to move south-east/north-west along the foundry. Two 13-in-sq. timbers provide the span of 30 ft. across the building and, below these timbers, steel tie-bars effectively eliminate any tendency for the structure to sag…

…Affectionately referred to as ‘mandraulic’, the gantry crane with its fearsomely creaking rope tackle was by all accounts hard work for the apprentices, who had the job of working up aloft in the smoke and fumes that collected below the roof. Particular features of the building provided a conveniently terse vocabulary for giving directions: these were shouted from below as ‘road’, ‘chasing’, ‘furnace’, and ‘stove’.” [D. James, Foundry Trade Journal, September 7 1972]

The Foundry Crane

Acetate plan showing the mounting of the Foundry Crane, Thames Ditton, built 1874 for Burton's Bronze Foundry.

The Foundry Crane

A more detailed plan of the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry Crane, built in 1874 for Burtons Bronze Foundry.

The Foundry Crane

A more detailed plan of the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry Crane, built in 1874 for Burtons Bronze Foundry.

Key People

  • Arthur Bryan Burton
  • Louis Richard Tricker
  • Edwin Joseph Packham
  • Frederick William Braddock
  • Alfred Hobson Adley
  • Women and the Foundry

Foundry owner and manager

1860-1933

Arthur Bryan Burton, the owner of Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry, c.1920s.

Arthur Bryan Burton, the owner of Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry, c.1920s.

Born in Kingston in 1860 to Eliza and Frederick, a carpenter and joiner, Arthur Bryan Burton was the oldest of 7 siblings. Before he was 11, he had been sent off to live with his grandparents in Long Ditton, possibly to ease the financial strain on his parents. This arrangement would end up being to Arthur’s advantage, as it was just a mile away from his grandparents’ house that the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry was to open in 1874, when Arthur was 14. Clearly keen to make the most of the brilliant job opportunity this local development offered, just two years later by the age of 16 Arthur had begun an apprenticeship at the Foundry, then under the management of Cox & Sons. In 1880, Arthur was at the Foundry when it was taken over by Drew & Co., and in this same year he had become a Chaser and Bronze Finisher, aged just 20. In 1887, Burton married the 28 year old Florence Louisa Moore, the daughter of the Foundry’s owner. The pair had two daughters, Florence and Dorothy (‘Dolly’) Burton, and Arthur soon went on to open and run his own foundry in Kingston in the 1890s. This must have been successful, because by 1897 he was in a position to buy the Thames Ditton Foundry with his business partner, Arthur Hollinshead.

The grave of Burton's daughter, Dolly, who died in 1908. The angel statue was made at the Foundry.

The grave of Burton’s daughter, Dolly, who died in 1908. The angel statue was made at the Foundry.

Hollinshead’s death in 1902 saw Arthur Burton become sole owner of the Thames Ditton Foundry, and the business thrived under his management. Some of the successes he oversaw at the Foundry are covered later in this online exhibition, but his innovative methods saw the Foundry gain international renown throughout the following decades, attracting some of the most prominent artists of the 1900s to 1920s to commission work there and with Burton himself even receiving royal visitors at the Foundry.

Burton’s life after 1902, however, was not without misfortune. In 1908, his younger daughter Dolly died aged only 14, and she was buried at Bonner Hill Cemetery in Kingston. Arthur Burton remained dedicated to the local community throughout his time running the Bronze Foundry, serving as a councillor on Surbiton Council and acting as a deacon at Surbiton Park Congregational Church. During the First World War, he had served as a special constable in the local police force, and used his prominent local position to help find accommodation for 60 Belgian refugees. He was also a Sunday School teacher and strong supporter of the Scout Movement in the 1920s, furthering his love of the outdoors by becoming an avid gardener.

Arthur Burton died in 1933, and was buried with his daughter Dolly and wife Florence at Bonner Hill, Kingston. A bronze statue of an angel with its arms outstretched was placed on their grave, the statue having been cast at the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry to which Burton had dedicated so much of his working life. Burton left the Foundry to his daughter Florence’s husband, Louis Richard Tricker.

Find out more about Burton on the Elmbridge Hundred

Foundry owner and manager

1884-1963

Louis Richard Tricker, who was eventually to become the Bronze Foundry's owner, in 1920.

Louis Richard Tricker, who was eventually to become the Bronze Foundry’s owner, in 1920.

Louis Richard Tricker was a local man, and in 1913 he married Florence Burton, making him Arthur Burton’s son-in-law. He lived in Surbiton before his marriage, and must have been quite close to the owner of the Bronze Foundry, because on Arthur Burton’s death in 1933, Tricker continued the business under Burton’s name.

When the Second World War broke out in 1939, Louis closed the Bronze Foundry his father-in-law had owned and managed for so many years, because he did not want to see it requisitioned by the government for the manufacture of munitions.

Louis Tricker died in 1963.

Fine craftsman, Bronze Statuary Finisher and Foreman Chaser

1887-1969

Photograph of E. J. Packham at work on 'Adam and Eve' in the Bronze Foundry at Thames Ditton. Undated but likely c.1920s.

Photograph of E. J. Packham at work on ‘Adam and Eve’ in the Bronze Foundry at Thames Ditton. Undated but likely c.1920s.

The same year that Arthur Burton married his wife, Florence Moore, one of the Foundry’s most prolific workers was born in Weston Green to a local family. Edwin J Packham’s family had a long history in Thames Ditton and Weston Green. Both his grandfather, Joseph Packham, and his father, Henry Packham, had been the Parish Clerks between the years 1876 and 1915, and would have been very well-known locally. Edwin became a Foreman Chaser and Bronze Statuary Finisher at the Foundry, and worked on many famous bronze statues installed in London.

Edwin Packham carrying out finishing work on the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst by A.G. Walker, to be installed in Victoria Tower Gardens, 1930.

Edwin Packham carrying out finishing work on the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst by A.G. Walker, to be installed in Victoria Tower Gardens, 1930.

Edwin married Annie Fiveash in 1915, and they lived in a property named ‘Kenwyn’ in Weston Green. In the garden at Kenwyn, Edwin had a workshop, while Annie ran her Court Dressmaking business, ‘Packham, Neller & Fiveash’, from the main house. The couple had three sons: Brian, who worked for Esher News and later The Times newspapers; Christopher, who worked for Surrey County Council as a Public Health Inspector; and Philip, who was Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector for Staines Urban District Council and sadly died at the age of 41.

Edwin died in 1969 aged 82. He is described by his granddaughter, Jane, as a ‘slight, very quiet, kind, gentle, and artistic person’, who also sung as a chorister at Hampton Court chapel. For this exhibition, Jane has kindly donated and loaned a number of items relating to Edwin’s life and work at the Foundry, which are highlighted throughout the page.

Foreman Founder and Chief Moulder

1881 - 1953

Portrait photograph of Frederick Braddock, sandmoulder and Foreman Founder at the Bronze Foundry. Undated but possibly c.1910.

Portrait photograph of Frederick Braddock, sandmoulder and Foreman Founder at the Bronze Foundry. Undated but possibly c.1910.

Frederick Braddock’s photograph album is one of the most significant sources the Museum holds for the Bronze Foundry. Inside it are numerous images, newspaper cuttings and mounted photographs showing the Foundry in operation throughout the 1910s-1930s. This gives a significant insight into life and work at the Foundry on a day-to-day basis, as well as images of some of the Foundry’s finished bronze castings before they were sent off to be installed.

Born in Long Ditton and eventually moving to Tolworth, Braddock started out at the Foundry as an apprentice in 1897, the year that Burton and Hollinshead took over ownership. Still preserved in the Museum is Braddock’s indenture for apprenticeship, clearly signed by Braddock, Burton and Hollinshead.

Over the years at the Foundry, Braddock’s position advanced and he eventually became the Foreman Founder, being possibly the last of these to work at the Bronze Foundry. He would have been high ranking in the Foundry’s management, in charge of most of the workers and manual labourers, as well as being a talented metal-worker himself and producing bronze artworks and statues. Braddock was clearly talented, as in 1910 he won a second place medal for his entry in a competitive exhibition held at the Ironmongers’ Hall, London, by the Worshipful Company of Founders. The judges decided there was to be no first prize, so this was the highest award in its class. The Museum holds the competition invitation and programme, as well as Braddock’s certificate and commemorative medal, in its collection.

Braddock died in Surbiton in 1953.

Frederick William Braddock's indenture for apprenticeship at Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry, 1897. It is signed by Braddock and both Foundry owners, Burton and Hollinshead.

Frederick William Braddock’s indenture for apprenticeship at Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry, 1897. It is signed by Braddock and both Foundry owners, Burton and Hollinshead.

Apprentice and later mould maker

1885-1953

Alfred Adley Senior, early 1900's but prior to 1920, on Giggs Hill Green opposite Surrey Lodge. Angel Cottage is in the background.

Alfred Adley Senior, early 1900’s but prior to 1920, on Giggs Hill Green opposite Surrey Lodge. Angel Cottage is in the background.

Alfred Hobson Adley Snr, born c. 1885, embarked on his apprenticeship at Hollinshead & Burton’s Bronze Foundry in in 1899. For over two decades, until December 1924, Adley dedicated himself to the intricacies of foundry work, excluding a short break between October 1912 and November 1917.

Adley’s responsibilities encompassed the meticulous preparation of moulds, using a blend of sand, brick dust, and even horse manure to achieve the desired results. Notably, his son, Alfred Adley Junior, received his education locally, and the museum houses some of his schoolwork.

Photograph showing mould casting at Burton's Bronze Foundry. Alfred Adley Senior is on the right.

Photograph showing mould casting at Burton’s Bronze Foundry. Alfred Adley Senior is on the right.

Upon Adley Senior’s departure from the Bronze Foundry in 1924, records suggest he faced redundancy. The museum preserves a letter signed by Arthur Burton, attesting to Adley’s exemplary character and expressing regret at the necessity of his departure due to a need to cut down the workforce. We know that sometime after this in the 1920s, he became a Special Police Constable for Thames Ditton, and that he was part of Weston Green’s Football Club Team. His son went on to work at Trianco at Orchard Lane, Thames Ditton, making beer crates for Giggs Hill Green Brewery.

Alfred Adley Senior died in 1953 and is buried at St Nicholas’ Church, Thames Ditton.

Women and the Foundry

Arthur Burton and female family members at home in Station Road - undated but possibly c.1910s.

Arthur Burton and female family members at home in Station Road – undated but possibly c.1910s.

The Bronze Foundry’s workforce was predominantly male. Women, however, did still play a significant role in the Foundry’s story, and we find glimpses of their influence through a variety of primary sources related to the Foundry.

Frederick Braddock’s photograph album contains a number of images of Arthur Burton with his family. In one image, seen here, we can see Burton surrounded by various women, including his wife Florence and his daughter.

We know that women played a huge role in Burton’s life, and it is doubtful whether he would have bought the Foundry without the strong position given to him by his wife, who was the daughter of the Foundry’s owners in the 15 years prior to 1897. Burton’s two daughters were clearly also close to him, with the Foundry creating a statue for the grave of his late daughter Dolly in 1908 and Burton eventually being buried with her upon his own death several decades later.

Just like Burton, Louis Tricker’s ownership of the Foundry from 1933 likely came about because he was married to the late owner’s other daughter. Therefore, although apparently owned by a string of men, the Foundry was ‘kept in the family’ for 57 years through the female line.

Arthur Burton and female members of his family in front of the war memorial on the Foundry Building, Summer Road, c.1920s.

Arthur Burton and female members of his family in front of the war memorial on the Foundry Building, Summer Road, c.1920s.

Perhaps the most famous woman to influence the Foundry was Queen Victoria. Over the years, particularly in the late 1800s to early 1900s, the Foundry was involved in casting a huge number of Victoria memorials, statues and reliefs. Some of these are explored later in this online exhibition.

Artwork

Over its years of operation, the Foundry produced a vast amount of artwork, and royalty and power had a huge influence on the types of work created there. From the early Victorian period, statuary became incredibly popular, and the Foundry produced a number of equestrian statues and likenesses of those considered 'great men'. Below are just a few examples of some of the statues and memorials made by the Foundry to commemorate those occupying positions of power.

A royal visit, 1921 King George V and Queen Mary at the Bronze Foundry with the Equestrian statue of Edward VII, which was later sent to New Delhi, in India. Burton can be seen on the far right and Thomas Brock, the artist, on the left.

Victoria Memorial, 1906 A postcard of the Victoria Memorial, Derby, 1906. The memorial is thought to have been cast at the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry.

A former Prime Minister, 1906 A postcard of the statue of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, the 3rd Marquis of Salisbury, at Hatfield House. The photograph was taken just after the statue's unveiling in 1906 and the swags and ribbons from the ceremony are still visible on the fence behind it. The statue may have been cast at the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry. Gascoyne-Cecil was Conservative Prime Minister for a few months from 1885-6. He had been elected to the House of Commons in 1854 and served as Secretary of State for India and Foreign Secretary, as well as leader of the House of Lords. He died at Hatfield in 1902.

A religious figure, c.1903-1910 A postcard of the tomb of Frederick Temple at Canterbury Cathedral, c.1903-1910. The statue was cast at Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry. Frederick Temple was an academic and churchman who had been Bishop of Exeter and London, later being made Archbishop of Canturbury - the highest ecclesiastical position in the Church of England - from 1896-1902. He died in December 1902, with one of his last major duties having been the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in August 1902.

Edward VII memorial, 1909 Postcard of the King Edward VII statue in Reading, 1909. The statue was cast at Burton's Bronze Foundry at Thames Ditton. The statue, with crown, cloak and full regalia, is on a stepped plinth in the middle of the road.

An army officer, 1907 Postcard of a statue of General Sir Henry Redvers Buller (1839-1908) of Downes. The statue was unveiled in Exeter in 1905 and cast in Burton's Foundry. Interestingly, the postcard was sent to Alfred Hobson Adley, who worked at the Foundry, from his aunt in April 1907. Sir Henry Redvers Buller was for a time the commander in chief of the British forces in South Africa during the Second Boer War, and was awarded the Victoria Cross. Statues commemorating those involved on the side of the British Empire in the Boer War were quite common for the Foundry at the end of the Victorian era, despite the controversial tactics used by British colonial forces.

A royal memorial, 1912 A postcard of the Brighton and Hove Memorial to King Edward VII, 1912, cast at Burton's Bronze Foundry. A later newspaper article recorded that 'King Edward VII loved to watch the work done at the foundry, and paid private visits on a number of occasions when statues of himself were being cast'.

Bronze relief of Queen Victoria made at Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry for her Diamond Jubilee, 1897.Bronze relief of Queen Victoria made at Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry for her Diamond Jubilee, 1897.

Commemorating Victoria

The long reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901 saw a number of milestones which brought business to the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry. At the time, Victoria became the longest-reigning monarch the country had ever seen, and her jubilees were commemorated with enthusiasm. In 1897, the same year that former Foundry apprentices Hollinshead and Burton took over the Foundry, the country celebrated Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee of 60 years on the throne. This busy year saw the Foundry produce a number of commemorative plaques, statues and medals of Victoria, to be distributed across the country.

This bronze relief of Queen Victoria, showing her left profile with the stylised dates 1837 and 1897 on either side, commemorated her Diamond Jubilee. It is signed in the bottom right by F J Williamson. Francis John Williamson (1833-1920) lived in Esher. He exhibited at the Royal Academy and received Royal Patronage in 1870 from Queen Victoria and other members of the Royal Family. At least thirty of his sculptures were cast at Burton’s Bronze Foundry in Thames Ditton.

The plaque is in an octagonal wooden frame with text at bottom reading “Bequeathed to Esher Library By Mr E J Packham Of Weston Green 1969”. It was cast at Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry, and this particular piece was clearly kept by Edwin Packham before being donated to the Library many years later.


This bronze medal is another example of some of the material produced at the Foundry for the Diamond Jubilee. It is perforated at the top for the attachment of a ribbon, and dozens more like it would have been presented to civilian notables such as soldiers and sailors taking part in processions through London during the jubilee celebrations. Similar gold and silver versions of the medal were given to the royal family, members of the Royal household, and army and navy officers.

It is decorated with an image of Queen Victoria and the inscription “Victoria Regina et Imperatrix”. On the back it says “To commemorate the Sixtieth Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria. 1837-1897, Weybridge.”

Just 4 years later, in 1901, Queen Victoria died, and another flood of work to commemorate her ensued, with the Foundry creating even more plaques and statues in the years immediately following her death and funeral.


Bronze commemorative medal for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, June 1897Bronze commemorative medal for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, June 1897

 

The Global Foundry

This map shows just a selection of the various places across the world to which artworks made at the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry were sent. Many of these destinations were at the time part of the British Empire, and the statues sent there to reflect the power and status of the British military or royalty.

The Museum holds photographs of the pieces included in the map thanks to Frederick Braddock’s photograph album, but there were many other pieces made at Thames Ditton and shipped across the globe which we sadly do not hold photographs of, but of which many still stand today. These include:

  • Daniel O’Connell statue in Dublin, Ireland (1881)
  • Statue of General F. S. Maude in front of the British Residency in Baghdad, Iraq (1922)
  • Equestrian statue of the Earl of Mayo in Kolkata (1875)
  • Memorial statue of Edward VII in Adelaide, Australia (1920)
  • Equestrian statue of Edward VII in Melbourne, Australia (1920)

 

Click through the stops on the map to see photographs of statues made at the Foundry and sent to other parts of the world.

Statue of Edward VII, New Delhi

Perhaps one of the most prominent castings at the foundry was a statue of Edward VII. In the Elmbridge Museum collection is a photograph of King George V and Queen Mary, standing in front of the imposing statue during a royal visit to the Foundry in 1921.

The statue of the late Edward VII was sent from Thames Ditton to New Delhi, the capital of the British Raj at that time. The royal imagery acted as a visible symbol of British imperial prowess, and a reminder of British ascendency in India. It was taken down in 1947, after the Partition of India, and placed in Delhi’s Coronation Park, alongside other unpopular imperial statues.

King George V and Queen Mary at the Bronze Foundry with the Equestrian statue of Edward VII, which was later sent to New Delhi, in India. Burton can be seen on the far right and Thomas Brock, the artist, on the left.

King George V and Queen Mary at the Bronze Foundry with the Equestrian statue of Edward VII, which was later sent to New Delhi, in India.

Statue of Edward VII, Toronto

Eventually, the Edward VII statue which had been taken down in New Delhi found a new home in Canada. In 1969, Canadian politician Henry Jackman arranged for the statue of Edward VII to be moved from India to Toronto’s Queens Park, which was lacking an equestrian statue at the time.

The statue was cut into 3 pieces to transport it, and welded back together after its journey. It still stands in Toronto’s Queens Park to this day.

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Group photo of the workforce of Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry in front of the Equestrian statue of Edward VII, which was later sent to New Delhi, in India, 1921.

Statue of Robert Burns, Ayr

These photographs of the statue of Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns, most famous for writing the song ‘Auld Lang Syne’, are some of the earliest photos the Museum holds of a work cast at the Thames Ditton Foundry. The statue was made in 1878, just 4 years after the Foundry had opened.

Postcard of Robert Burns statue in the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry after it was completed, 1878.

Postcard of Robert Burns statue in the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry after it was completed, 1878.

Statue of Captain James Cook, Hyde Park, Sydney

Captain James Cook was a British explorer and cartographer famous for his voyages to Australia and New Zealand in the mid-to-late 1700s. His sometimes violent methods when coming into contact with indigenous populations have made him a controversial figure, but in the Victorian era he was celebrated as a pioneer for mapping and surveying territories previously unchartered by the West. His statue may have been sent to Sydney as a reminder of this colonial history.

There were a number of other statues cast at the Bronze Foundry and erected in Sydney. The Captain Cook statue was joined by a statue of Queen Victoria in 1888, and various figures for Sydney’s Shakespeare Memorial were also cast at the Foundry in 1924.

Image of the Captain Cook statue in the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry workshop after it was completed, 1878.

Image of the Captain Cook statue in the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry workshop after it was completed, 1878.

Notable Moments

Over the years that the Foundry was in operation, there were a number of notable projects and achievements for its workforce.

Braddock wins a casting competition

The competitive exhibition, held at the Ironmonger’s Hall, London, was of castings, models and designs using a number of materials. It was run by the Worshipful Company of Founders, and was to be competed for ‘by Founders, Designers, Craftsmen, Apprentices, and Improvers.’

We can see from the exhibition catalogue that Braddock’s category was Class I, for professional Founders rather than apprentices, and by 1910 he had worked at the Foundry for 13 years and would have built up a great deal of experience in all areas of the trade. Each entrant’s work was judged by a committee of experienced Founders, and the prizes awarded were for best overall casting; best group, figure or head; best panel in ornament or figure; best bell; best design for cast railing; and best design in the form of a drawing, model or pattern.

Braddock was awarded second place for best overall casting, meaning he won £10 and a bronze medal, now held by the Museum. The judges decided there was to be no first place in this category after seeing all of the entries, and therefore Braddock’s position was joint best in show, a prestigious achievement and one which he would have been personally proud of but which also would have brought more acclaim to the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry.

Braddock's Invitation for an Exhibition of Castings and Models in metals and designs, at the Ironmonger's Hall in June 1910.
The Exhibition Catalogue for the Competition of Castings and Models in metals and designs, at the Ironmonger's Hall in June 1910. Braddock's doodling can be seen in the top left.
Braddock's second place certificate for best overall casting for the Competition of Castings and Models in metals and designs, at the Ironmonger's Hall in June 1910.
The front (top) and back (bottom) of Braddock's second place bronze medal won in the Competitive Exhibition of 1910. The back bears a depiction of casting, and the front is inscribed "The Worshipful Company Of Founders. God, the Only Founder".
The Peace Quadriga

In 1909, employees at Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry embarked upon a new project, which would take them three and a half years to complete. This was the casting of the Peace Quadriga, one of the largest bronze castings ever made in Britain.

Designed by Captain Adrian Jones, the Quadriga was made for the top of the Wellington Arch, in London’s Hyde Park. Jones was familiar with the Thames Ditton Foundry, having worked with them in 1906 to produce a statue of the Duke of Cambridge for Whitehall. The Quadriga, though, weighing a total of 38 tons and standing 32 feet high, was a much larger project. Over the years in production, it was made in smaller, more manageable pieces, and finally assembled upon installation, at Hyde Park. Welding had not emerged at this point, so the different pieces were matched up correctly and then pinned or riveted in place.

When finished and installed in 1912, the Quadriga represented the angel of peace alighting on the chariot of war, which is pulled by four horses. It was perhaps one of the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry’s most notable achievements and brought it national acclaim.

Photograph of the staff of the Bronze Foundry assembled at the feet of the 'Peace Quadriga', before it was installed on top of the Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, 1912.
Postcard collected by Frederick Braddock of the 'Peace Quadriga' statue at Hyde Park, 1912.
Photograph of the figures and horses' heads for the Quadriga at Hyde Park Corner leaving the foundry at Thames Ditton in 1912.

Tools and Methods

Many of the tools and moulds used by craftsmen at the Bronze Foundry still survive in Elmbridge Museum's collection. The selection below were all modelling tools, used to create the moulds into which the melted bronze would be poured. Most of them belonged to Foreman Founder and Chief Moulder, Frederick Braddock, and were used during his time at the Foundry throughout the 1910s-30s. Explore them by hovering over each box.

Modelling tool Trowel

Modelling tool Made of wood with one pointed and one flat end

Modelling tool With a pointed end used for carving

Modelling tool With two flat, rounded ends

Brush Used for modelling. Donated by the daughter of Foreman Founder, Frederick Braddock

Bowl Would possibly have been used for water or brushes during the modelling process

Modelling tool Made of wood and flat at each end

Modelling tool This brass instrument was used by a Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry worker for modelling in the lost wax process.

Modelling tool This brass instrument was used by a Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry worker for modelling in the lost wax process.

Wooden paddle Wooden paddle inscribed with an 'E' used by a Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry worker during the modelling process.

Modelling tool This brass instrument was used by a Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry worker for modelling in the lost wax process.

Modelling tool This brass instrument was used by a Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry worker for modelling in the lost wax process.

Moulds, models and templates for casting

A document with printed alphabet styles and letter models used by Frederick Braddock at the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry.

Moulds, models and templates for casting

Hardback book entitled "Examples Of Modern Alphabets, Plain And Ornamental", used by Frederick Braddock at Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry.

Moulds, models and templates for casting

Small cast moulds of cherubs, one of them gilded and the others un-gilded. The gilded one is mounted on a metal spike.

Moulds, models and templates for casting

A mould with a model inside, used at Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry. The model is for the War Memorial which was cast for Thames Ditton Church.

Moulds, models and templates for casting

This is a plaster cast model of part of the base for the Statue of Eros, cast at the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry in 1929 and erected in Sefton Park, Liverpool, in 1932.

Moulds, models and templates for casting

This is a mould of part of a column for the Statue of Eros, cast at the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry in 1929 and erected in Sefton Park, Liverpool, in 1932.

Moulds, models and templates for casting

Plaster cast model of the octagonal base for the Statue of Eros, cast at the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry in 1929 and erected in Sefton Park, Liverpool, in 1932.

The first Statue of Eros was not originally cast at Thames Ditton but in a London Foundry in Windmill Street, and erected in Piccadilly Circus. When a copy Statue of Eros was commissioned for Liverpool in 1929, this was cast at Thames Ditton.

Moulds, models and templates for casting

Plaster cast model of a column of the Statue of Eros, cast at the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry in 1929 and erected in Sefton Park, Liverpool, in 1932.

Moulds, models and templates for casting

Part of a model for a basin of a fountain, consisting of a straight length of mould with neat ends.

Moulds, models and templates for casting

Metal templates used in the moulding process at Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry.

Photograph of the assembled staff of the Bronze Foundry outside the main gates, c.1920., They are stood in front of the newly-installed war memorial dedicated to the firm's workers who had died in service.Photograph of the assembled staff of the Bronze Foundry outside the main gates, c.1920., They are stood in front of the newly-installed war memorial dedicated to the firm's workers who had died in service.

War and the Foundry

The First World War, 1914-18

The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 affected virtually everyone. As the first total war the country had ever seen, many companies were required to help the war effort by adapting their activities to support it. This included Arthur Burton’s Bronze Foundry, with the workforce at Thames Ditton now pausing their usual activities to manufacture aero engines and brass shell cases.

The First World War came to an end in November 1918. Despite the Allied victory, it had seen a total of 880,000 British troops killed and hundreds of thousands more maimed and injured. The efforts to commemorate those who had died, gone missing or had no known grave created a flood of requests for new memorials across the country. The Bronze Foundry, no longer needed for armaments production by the state, began producing memorial plaques and statues for works across the UK. Closest to home, in Thames Ditton’s St. Nicholas’ Church, Burton and his entire workforce donated their time and materials for free, to create the bronze plaque of 84 names of the men from the parish who had died in the conflict. Over the following years, the Foundry also created memorials for the dead of Kingston and Wimbledon, and a small plaque for the fallen on the side of the Foundry building itself, dedicated to the members of Burton’s workforce who had died.

The war memorials Burton’s Foundry produced varied massively in both size and style. Some were dedicated to named local men, others more general commemorative works. Many of these are explored below.

The Foundry's memorial Photograph of a group of men beneath Burton's Bronze Foundry's First World War memorial, c.1920s. Many of the men here had served in the war themselves and wear medals.

Plaster maquette of Frederick Braddock's brother-in-law, Thexton, from Lancaster, as a soldier in First World War uniform The statue was modelled in plaster but never cast. 'Granted life on Earth' and 'We have striven' are scratched on the plinth. One of the arms of the model has since broken off.

Memorial in Castle Park, Colchester Postcard of the war memorial cast at Burton's foundry, 1923. The winged statue of Victory is mounted on a stone column, which has statues of St. George and Peace on the opposite sides.

Part of 'The Response' memorial, St. Thomas' Church gardens, Newcastle Cast at Burton's Bronze Foundry, this image shows part of the memorial being transported on an open-backed truck to its destination in St. Thomas' Church gardens, Newcastle, 1923.

Find out more about this war memorial
St. Nicholas' Church memorial, Thames Ditton Burton's Foundry donated this memorial freely to the parish, c. early 1920s. It reads 'In thanksgiving to God and in undying memory of the men of this parish who in the Great War 1914-1918 gave their own lives that others might live in freedom'.

A model of a soldier in uniform, used in the Royal Artillery war memorial, at Hyde Park Corner The memorial was designed and sculpted by Charles Sargeant Jagger, and cast at Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry. Unveiled in October 1925, it consisted of four soldiers standing around a howitzer gun, and was controversial for its rare depiction of a dead gunner lying covered by his coat and helmet at the north end. As a veteran himself, Jagger wanted to depict the reality of the war.

Find out more about this war memorial
Edinburgh Castle's Scottish National War Memorial Postcard entitled 'The Shrine with steel casket given by T. Ms. the King and Queen, Scottish National War Memorial, Edinburgh Castle.' The shrine was cast at the Thames Ditton Bronze Foundry, 1920s.

"Experience in the trenches persuaded me of the necessity for frankness and truth."

- Charles Sargeant Jagger talking to the Daily Express about his decision to depict a dead soldier in the Royal Artillery Memorial, Hyde Park.

The Second World War, 1939-45

The First World War had come to be known as ‘the war to end all wars’. Despite calls of ‘never again’ and the national outpouring of grief, just over 20 years later, the Second World War was declared in response to the Nazi invasion of Poland. By this point, Arthur Burton had died, and the Foundry’s new owner – his son-in-law, Louis Tricker – knew that the new war would see the mobilisation of industry on a national scale again. The Office of Works (to become the Ministry of Works from 1940) was the government department responsible for requisitioning buildings and businesses for wartime usage. Tricker didn’t want to see the Foundry taken over for the manufacture of munitions as it had been 20 years prior, so to prevent this he decided to close the Foundry completely in 1939.

66.1983 Gantry crane at Old Kiln Museum, TilfordThe gantry crane at the Old Kiln Museum in the 1990s.

Foundry Closure and Warehouse Demolition

After Louis Tricker closed the foundry at the start of the Second World War to prevent it being requisitioned for the manufacture of munitions, it was sold to London Metal Warehouses Ltd, and later became a metal store owned by Metal Centres Ltd. In 1972 the site was sold to the council and demolished.

Following a campaign by the Surrey Industrial History Group to save the gantry crane, a new home had to be found to house this colossal piece of machinery. When the plan to relocate it to Ironbridge Gorge Museums in Shropshire fell through, the Old Kiln Museum in Tilford, Surrey (now the Rural Life Living Museum) agreed to temporarily house the structure where it was visited by Alf Adley, son of Alfred Hobson Adley who had worked at the foundry for over two decades. A permanent home was later found for the crane on a privately owned estate in Essex where it can still be viewed by appointment.

Explore Further

Interested in learning more about Thames Ditton's past? Discover the story of another significant local employer, the Milk Marketing Board, in our online exhibition.

Go to The Milk Marketing Board online exhibition
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