The Streatham Society - Blog

The Sculptor Conrad Dressler

22/5/2022

On This Day 22 May 1856 Conrad Dressler was born

Conrad Dressler (22 May 1856 – 3 August 1940) was an English sculptor and potter.

He was born in Streatham and the family lived at "Broadlands" Streatham High Road. His father Gustavus born in Germany, mother Suzanne born in France plus 2 brothers , a sister and 5 servants
Dressler studied sculpture at the Royal College of Art. He was later influenced by the Arts & Crafts Movement. He worked in partnership with Harold Rathbone between 1894 and 1897 at the Della Robbia Pottery, and then moved to Marlow Common in Buckinghamshire, where he established the Medmenham Pottery specialising in architectural tiles and large wall panels, created from small sections

Dressler was the inventor of a tunnel kiln known as the 'Dressler oven'.

(Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture Robert Prescott-Walker)
Image John Ruskin by Conrad Dressler bronze bust, 1888
© National Portrait Gallery, London. Reproduced under the Creative Commons License

#OTD 21 May 1951 a week long production of Dracula started at the Streatham Hill Theatre starring Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula

21/5/2022

Edith Copley - a servant at the Burnage

21/5/2022

Edith Mary Copley (1892-1993) died On This Day 21st May 1993

She was a servant with her sister Elizabeth Rose Copley at the "Burnage", Streatham Common.
The "Burnage" was occupied by the Cave-Brown-Cave family. Edith was a VAD Red Cross Auxillary Nurse and Cook during WW1.

The Copley family lived at 41 Wellfield Road in Streatham.

George Elliott Lowes Bowlby

20/5/2022

This appeared in the Graphic 20 May 1916 (Roll of honour Britsh Soldiers who have fallen)
George Elliott Lowes Bowlby, born in Meerut, India. Educated Colet Court and St Pauls School. After School worked at Lloyds and then Cox and Co. The son of the Reverend A Bowlby of St James' Streatham.

8th Batallion Lincolnshire Regiment killed by a German Sniper whilst crawling along a spate to inspect a part which had been blown in

The colonel of the 9th Batallion wrote:
"I had the pleasure of serving with your son in the 8th Batallion and again in this and manfully appreciate what loss to you will mean

The Chaplain wrote:
Your son was always tremendously keen in his work and we all considered him one of the most zealous officers

Garden Fete of the Streatham Depot, Central Hospital Supplies Services

20/5/2022

On This Day 20th May 1942 Garden Fete of the Streatham Depot, Central Hospital Supplies Services, at 45 Leigham Court Road, Streatham.

Canon Salmon, Rector of Streatham, seated at the rear table with the roses.

(Collection:Streatham Antiquarian Society

Dr Norman Levinson founder of the Furzedown Project

19/5/2022

On This Day 19th May 2015 a celebration to the founder of the Furzedown Project took place

Dr Norman Levinson and his wife Margery lived at 42 Woodfield Avenue.
Norman Levinson moved to London and took up a partnership in Streatham, where he remained for more than 40 years. He was an associate specialist in ear, nose, and throat (BMJ Obituary December 2008)

Dr Levinson was the Senior partner at the Greyswood Surgery in the Furzedown area of Streatham
On Tuesday 19th May 2015, 120 members and guests crammed in to the Furzedown Project to attend a celebration of our 40th Year.

The Project was formally constituted in 1975 by Dr Norman Levinson, his widow Margery Levinson and son Andrew, both came along to help us mark the anniversary. Other special guests included the famous actor Sylvia Syms OBE and the Mayor of Wandsworth Cllr Nicola Nardelli.
The Mayor and Sylvia Syms handed over the keys to our wonderful new minibus and ceremoniously cut the birthday cake proclaiming the Furzedown Project to be 40 Years Young. (Furzedown Project)

Christopher Chittell

19/5/2022

Christopher Chittell was born on May 19, 1948 in Aldershot, Hampshire. An actor, known for Emmerdale (1972), The Avengers (1961) and To Sir, with Love(1967). He has been married to Lesley Dunlop since June 18, 2016. He was previously married to Caroline Hunt. (IMDb)

He lived in Glenister Park Rd Streatham Vale and went to Hillcroft School

Our #ThrowbackThursday for this week takes us back to 1926 and the building of the Northern Line Extension

19/5/2022

Our #ThrowbackThursday for this week takes us back to 1926 and the building of the Northern Line Extension to Morden through Clapham, Balham and Tooting using the "Greathead shield" named after Streatham resident James Greathead

View showing two types of excavator shields used during tunnelling. This was the first tube railway upon which such shields were used on an extensive scale. James Henry Greathead, the inventor of the Greathead tunnelling shield lived in Leigham Court Road, Streatham and is buried in Norwood Cemetery. From 'Opening of the Morden Extension'.

David Jacobs

19/5/2022

On This Day 19 May 1926 David Jacobs was born at 24 Telford Ave Streatham

The youngest of three sons of David Jacobs, a prosperous Covent Garden fruit wholesaler, and his wife, Jeanette Victoria, néeGoldsmid. His grandfather was known as 'the king of Caledonian market' and his grandmother 'the banana queen of Covent Garden'

The fruit trade ran in the family, an exception being his great-aunt, Lena Verdi, a music-hall artiste. As a child Jacobs became interested in show-business and his impressions entertained audiences at the Rex Cinema, Haslemere.

The Jacobs family had a spacious house with a chauffeur and maid, and a governess who instilled in the young Jacobs the virtues of politeness and speaking properly

In 1944 Jacobs was called up for service in the Royal Navy, but following seamanship and radar courses, his navy service was entirely land-based.

Jacobs's television career included Little Women (1950), playing Laurie, Hi There! (1951), as Benny Hill's feed, Wednesday Magazine(1959), Come Dancing (from 1956), the Eurovision Song Contest(1957–66), What's My Line? (1974), and Where Are They Now?(1979). On ITV he was chairman on Make Up Your Mind (Granada, 1956) followed by Tell the Truth (ATV, 1957). But his public profile soared when, thanks to his new agent, Bunny Lewis, he became chairman of Juke Box Jury on BBC television (1959–67).
(Source Philip Mellor)

John Dunt chandelier maker

18/5/2022

On This Day 18 May 1877 John Dunt died

John Ebeneezer Dunt lived at 8/9 the Paragon, Streatham Hill. He was a partner in Hancock, Rixon and Dunt of I Cockspur Street. They were glass and Chandelier manufacturers
The Chandelier at Apsley House is an example of one of their chandeliers. (Apsley House, the former home of The Duke of Wellington at Hyde Park Corner)
https://wilkinson-ltd.com/our-news/apsley-house

Next Meeting

Our next event is on 7th June 2022 a talk on the Streatham Ice Rink, The Early Years (1931-1946) by Saki Hajnal which follows the AGM is at 6:30pm

Newsletter 248 has been delivered to all members

We now accept membership from overseas provided we receive the subscription in sterling

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