Bradshaw Gass & Hope

Bradshaw Gass & Hope is an English firm of architects founded in 1862 by Jonas James Bradshaw (1837-1912). The style "Bradshaw Gass & Hope" was adopted after J. J. Bradshaw’s death and refers to the remaining partners John Bradshaw Gass and Arthur John Hope.

History

The firm’s principal office has always been in Bolton, but branch offices were set up in Edinburgh and London when major projects were undertaken there.

Although Bradshaw was capable of designing fine Gothic Revival houses, like Watermillock (1880-86) near Bolton, he mainly produced industrial buildings. The technical challenges of early iron and concrete framed factories led Bradshaw to employ his own engineers and quantity surveyors and thus found one of the first multidisciplinary practices. The emphasis on engineering in the practice seems to have benefited John Parkinson (1861-1935), Bradshaw’s apprentice from 1877 to 1882, who immigrated to America where he designed a number of high-rise buildings including Los Angeles City Hall (1928).

In the early twentieth century, Bradshaw Gass & Hope gained national prominence after winning a number of architectural competitions; the firm built seven town halls between 1928 and 1939 and extended Bolton Town Hall. During this period, Bradshaw Gass & Hope attracted many architecture students; half a dozen of these students would later head council architects departments across the country. [Austen Redman (2007), "Bolton Civic Centre and the Classical Revival Style of Bradshaw Gass & Hope." in Clare Hartwell & Terry Wyke(editors), "Making Manchester", Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, ISBN 978-0-900942-01-3]

Until the 1960s most of the firms work was in the Classical idiom.

Sir George Grenfell-Baines, the founder of Building Design Partnership, worked in the Bolton office from 1930 to 1934; he was impressed by the firm’s multidisciplinary nature but dismayed by its strict hierarchical structure (at that time). [George Grenfell-Baines (2000), interviewed by Louise Brodie at Preston, (January 5 - 11) "Architects’ Lives", London: National Biographical Archive, C467/46/F7839.]

Bradshaw Gass & Hope still operates from its Bolton office. In 2007 they were the subject of a monograph and their archive drawings were exhibited in London and Manchester. [Jane & Timothy Lingard (2007) "Bradshaw Gass & Hope - The Story of an Architectural Practice", ISBN 978-0-9556035-01]

elected buildings by Bradshaw Gass & Hope

Listed by date under practice title at the time: [A. Stuart Gray (1985) "Edwardian Architecture: a Biographical Dictionary", ISBN 0 7156 2141 6.] [Nikolaus Pevsner (1969), "Lancashire 1: the Industrial and Commercial South," The Buildings of England, ISBN 0-14-071036-1.] [Nikolaus Pevsner (1969), "Lancashire 2: The Rural North," The Buildings of England, ISBN 0-300-09617-8.]

Jonas James Bradshaw "with Leigh Hall"

* Eaves Lane Workhouse (now Hospital), Chorley (1869-72)

J. J. Bradshaw

* Clitheroe Workhouse (now Hospital) (1870)
* Greenthorne, Edgworth, "private residence" (enlarged 1880)
* The Spinners’ Hall, Bolton (1880 and later enlargements)
* Watermillock, Bolton (1880-86)

Bradshaw & Gass

* Rutland Mills, Adelaide Street, Bolton (1883-1920)
* Lincoln Mill, Washington Street, Bolton (1883-1920)
* Bolton Evening News offices (1890-1907)
* The Victoria Hall, Bolton (1898-1900)
* College of Art, Hilden Street, Bolton (1901-3)

Bradshaw, Gass & Hope

* Leysian Wesleyan Mission, Finsbury (1902-4)
* Methodist Central Hall, Renshaw Street, Liverpool (1904-5)
* Manchester Stock Exchange (1904-06)
* Library, York Street, Atherton (1904-5)
* Baptist Church, Market Street, Farnworth (1906)
* Tollard Royal Hotel, Southampton Row, London (1907)
* Queen's Hall Methodist Mission, Market Street, Wigan (1907-8)
* Croal Mill, Callis Road, Bolton (1908)
* Astley Bridge Branch Library, Bolton (1909-12)
* Great Lever Branch Library (1909-12)
* Stockport Central Library (1912-13)

Bradshaw Gass & Hope

* Miners Hall, Bolton (1913-14)
* Royal Exchange, Manchester (1914-21)
* Workshops for the Blind, Marsden Road, Bolton (1914)
* Methodist College, Medak, India (1917-25)
* Sir John Holden's Mill, Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge, Bolton (1920-27)
* Miners' Convalescent Home, Promenade, Blackpool (1925-27)
* UMIST, Manchester (1927-57)
* War Memorial, Bolton (1928)
* Co-Op, Victoria Square, Bolton (1928)
* Catford/Lewisham Town Hall (1928-32)
* Leith Town Hall and Library (1929-31)
* Bolton Civic Centre and Town Hall Extension (1930-39)
* Wimbledon Town Hall (1931)
* Trafford Town Hall (1932-33)
* Luton Town Hall (1934-38)
* Chesterfield Town Hall (1937-38)
* Padiham Town Hall (1938)
* Turton High School, Bromley Cross (1939-53)
* Completion of Bolton School (1945-65)
* Police Station and Magistrates Court, Burnley (1951-55)
* Police Head Quarters, Salford (1958)
* Methodist Chapel, Halliwell, Bolton (1959)
* ICI-Alkali Division Head Quarters, Winnington, Northwich (1959-60)
* Girls School, Broughton, Lancashire (1962)
* Municipal Offices in Newcastle-under-Lyme (1963)
* Offices for Jeyes, Thetford, Norfolk (1970)
* Reebok Stadium, Horwich (1997)
* Bolton Arena (1999-2001)

Image gallery of Buildings by Bradshaw Gass & Hope

ome notable people who worked for Bradshaw Gass & Hope

Partners

* John Jonas Bradshaw (c. 1837-1912)
* John Bradshaw Gass (1855-1939)
* Arthur John Hope (1875-1969)
* James Robert Adamson (1883-1943)
* Robert Mackison McNaught (1898-1969)

Former pupils and technical staff

* James William Wallace (1850-1926) "friend of Walt Whitman"
* John Parkinson (1861-1935) "founder of Parkinson & Son"
* Professor Sir George Grenfell-Baines (1908-2003) "founder of Building Design Partnership"
* George Wilde "became Warrington Borough Architect"
* Edgar Taberner "became Chester City Architect
* Albert Victor Whitworth "became Exeter City Architect"
* Robert Shaw "became Winchester City Architect"
* Alexander Steele (1906-80) "became Edinburgh City Architect"
* John Bidder "Clerk of Works, 1959-84"

Notes

External links

* [http://bgh.tickle.co.uk/ Bradshaw Gass & Hope] Official site
* [http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/HTML/art.asp Bolton Museum & Art Gallery] (based in Bolton Civic Centre)
* [http://www.fotth.org.uk/ Friends of Trafford Town Hall] – campaign to prevent demolition of Bradshaw Gass & Hope Building
* [http://www.boltonmethodistmission.co.uk/history.html Victoria Hall, Bolton]