Anteroom: The Fine Art Society Gallery 148 New Bond Street, London.

The Fine Art Society was founded in 1876 and quickly established itself as one of London's leading art dealers. The front of its New Bond Street building was remodelled in 1881 by E. W. Godwin, and the interior by George Faulkner Armitage. The London gallery closed in 2018.

THE FINE ART SOCIETY’S GALLERY ANTEROOM - What is an architect? Some folk think he is one who makes designs on paper, and then sees that they are all properly carried out by the various sections of the building trade. Some think he is a gentleman with a brass-plate on his door, who takes pupils and reads papers before the learned societies. Some imagine him as primarily the guardian of other folks’ money, seeing that it is not wasted or stolen. Some suppose he is a gentleman, well educated, and adapted by experience and training for his special work, whilst some take him to be a superior sort of builder’s foreman. Some think he may dub himself architect only after much difficulty, time, and cost, others know very well to the contrary. About no other profession is there so much misunderstanding. And let us remark by the way, that one of the worst misunderstandings of all is about the remuneration of an architect. Instead of being paid according to his talents or experience, he never rises above a sort of trades union level. He may be head and shoulders above his average fellow-workers, but he gets only the same fee. He may have had a university education and a sound professional training too, and yet have to compete for practice on level ground with a builder's foreman! No wonder under such circumstances and beliefs that we hardly know what an architect is and what he is not. 

If we measure the position of an architect by his ability to get good work done in an artistic manner, by his capacity to design it and then see that it is well carried out, and that all the trades shall work in subordination to, and union with, the main idea of producing an architectural effect, then Mr. George Faulkner Armitage, of Stamford House, Altrincham, is one of our architects. He has carried out numerous works of quality and costliness in many places, such as the internal decorations of the Manchester Jubilee Exhibition (which included terra-cotta screens, house facades, decorative painting and furnishing) the restoration and furnishing of Bramall Hall, the Oxford Union Society’s rooms, the British Council Chamber at the Paris Exhibition (which was pronounced a first-rate work, and obtained a gold medal), the Devonshire Club (in St. James‘ Street) redecoration and furnishing. the Fine Art Society‘s in Bond Street, the altar-table in Chester Cathedral, and numerous private house interiors, etc. Mr. Armitage has done what few architects have in preparation for practice. He has studied and worked in workshops and factories in England, France, Switzerland, and Italy, and spent nearly two years in study of wood-carving on the Continent. He practised wood carving as a speciality in England for some time, and then took to designing and modelling, and thereafter to decoration and furnishing. at which he has worked for the last fourteen years until he has developed a business (or practice or whatever you like to call it) of which he may be proud. His studios and workshop are side by side, and the design and execution of wood, metal, plaster, etc., go on fairly hand-in-hand, the only items of work at present being executed for him away from his own place being stained-glass and carpet weaving. His draughtsmen have been educated out of the material to be found in the ordinary day school and which usually develops into shop-hands. 

The example of Mr. Armitage's work we publish today represents his efforts to combine a variety of materials into one artistic whole. The woodwork, which is mahogany, includes an effective wall hanging for the beautiful etchings and engravings published by the Fine Art Society. The elaborately modelled frieze is in fibrous plaster made from a model Mr. Armitage cut at his place, Stamford House, Altrincham. The furniture is covered in silks and wool tapestry, woven in his own rooms to his own design, and the metal-work is all wrought in iron and copper in his own smithy, by men who a few years since were ordinary shoeing-smiths. 

There can be no question but that such workers as Mr. Wm. Morris and Mr. Armitage, who both design and execute architectural work, can find plenty to do now-a-days, and a thoroughly appreciative clientele into the bargain. But to the uninitiated they only make the mystery greater than ever as to “What is an architect? " T. RAFFLES DAVISON.