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Lot Essay
James Pulham (1820-1898) established a garden ornament manufactory in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire establishing The Pulham company in 1820 and using terracotta from around 1846 until the business closed in 1945. Pulham developed a highly durable clay based artificial stone, comparable to the terracotta mediums developed by Coade and Blashfield, and also a cement based artificial stone.
By the 1880s the company was concentrating on garden and landscape ornaments. A catalogue of 1915, indicates that their wares were made of 'Pulhamite' stone, which "is considered the best material for all designed stonework in connection with the garden for the following reasons: Pulhamite Stone is more durable than natural stone, for it never decays and never shells or flakes; cement is not used in its composition, it is a lighter substance ,making more elegant productions than any other so called artificial stone. This is an important point, as the sides of a Pulhamite vase give more space for soil. It is the colour of light stone. There is nothing deleterious to plant life in it, in fact, owning to the nature of the material, the opposite may be said in its favour. We guarantee its durability, and can refer to work which has been exposed for over 70 years If desired, can reproduce in the Antique style, and copies can be made from practically any existing examples."
In The Art-Journal Illustrated Catalogue of the Great Exhibition, London, 1862, Mr. Pulham, of Broxbourne, is described as "a large exhibitor of works in terra cotta, not only for architectural purposes, but for those of gardens, conservatories, and general ornamentation of grounds. They are of excellent design, carefully and skillfully modelled, and so 'baked' as to be uninfluenced prejudicially by weather".
The company was also granted a Royal warrant for its work for the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) at Sandringham in 1895.
By the 1880s the company was concentrating on garden and landscape ornaments. A catalogue of 1915, indicates that their wares were made of 'Pulhamite' stone, which "is considered the best material for all designed stonework in connection with the garden for the following reasons: Pulhamite Stone is more durable than natural stone, for it never decays and never shells or flakes; cement is not used in its composition, it is a lighter substance ,making more elegant productions than any other so called artificial stone. This is an important point, as the sides of a Pulhamite vase give more space for soil. It is the colour of light stone. There is nothing deleterious to plant life in it, in fact, owning to the nature of the material, the opposite may be said in its favour. We guarantee its durability, and can refer to work which has been exposed for over 70 years If desired, can reproduce in the Antique style, and copies can be made from practically any existing examples."
In The Art-Journal Illustrated Catalogue of the Great Exhibition, London, 1862, Mr. Pulham, of Broxbourne, is described as "a large exhibitor of works in terra cotta, not only for architectural purposes, but for those of gardens, conservatories, and general ornamentation of grounds. They are of excellent design, carefully and skillfully modelled, and so 'baked' as to be uninfluenced prejudicially by weather".
The company was also granted a Royal warrant for its work for the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) at Sandringham in 1895.