William Bloye

William James Bloye ARBSA (8 July 1890 – 6 June 1975) was an English sculptor, active in Birmingham either side of World War II.

William Bloye
Born
William James Bloye

8 July 1890[1]
Birmingham, England
Died6 June 1975(1975-06-06) (aged 84)
Arezzo, Italy
Known forSculpture
Awards

Life

Bloye studied, and later, taught at the Birmingham School of Art (his training was interrupted by World War I, when he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1915 to 1917;[2] he was eventually succeeded at Birmingham by John Bridgeman), where his pupils included Gordon Herickx, Roy Kitchin, Raymond Mason, John Poole and Ian Walters. He also studied stone-carving and letter cutting under Eric Gill around 1921.

Blue plaque at Golden Hillock Road

In 1925 Bloye became a member of the Birmingham Civic Society, having, at about that time, a studio at 111, Golden Hillock Road, Small Heath, Birmingham. As Birmingham's unofficial civic sculptor he worked on virtually all public commissions including libraries, hospitals and the University. He often carved bas-relief plaques, typically for public houses in Birmingham, and decorated a number of buildings by the architect Holland W. Hobbiss. During the 1920s, he served on the Technical Committee of the Birmingham Civic Society.[3]

Bloye became a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors: associate (with the honorific suffix ARBS) in 1934, and fellow (FRBS) in 1938. He also won the latter's Otto Beit Medal. Retiring from the School of Art in 1956 he moved to Solihull. He died in Arezzo, Italy in 1975.

In December 2010, a blue plaque was unveiled at City College, on the site of his former studio.[2]

As of January 2010, Birmingham City Council are working on the restoration of Bloye's statue of Pan at Aston Hall. The statue's head is missing, and they have appealed for old photographs to assist in its reconstruction.[4]

RBSA
William J Bloye, 111 Golden Hillock Rd, Small Heath, sculptor
William Bloye's entry in the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists members' register; in his own hand. Dated 1930

Bloye was closely associated with the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA). Although the two 1919 bronze plaques at the RBSA entrance are the earliest known work by Bloye in Birmingham, he became a member only in 1930.[5] After a period as vice-president, he became president in 1948[6] and served in that role until 1950. He was also the RBSA's Professor of Sculpture[6] from at least the mid-1940s until at least 1961[7] (after which time the post is no longer mentioned in the annual catalogues).[8]

The Society's permanent collection includes one of his works, a life-size plaster bust, Head of Man.[9] It is undated and not usually on display. The subject's name is not recorded.

Selected public works

1919
Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates		 Date TypeMaterialDimensions DesignationOwner / administrator Notes
Allegories of Art and Industry Above north-west door of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (The Feeney Gallery extension), Great Charles Street

52.4811°N 1.9050°W / 52.4811; -1.9050		 c. 1919 (1919) Stone Birmingham City Council [10]
Bronze Plaques Royal Birmingham Society of Artists

52.484891°N 1.907520°W / 52.484891; -1.907520		 1919 (1919) Bronze Formerly at the Society's old headquarters on New Street[10]

1920–1929
Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates		 Date TypeMaterialDimensions DesignationOwner / administrator Notes

More images		 Lion Pediment and Seated Craftsmen Supreme Works, 186 Soho Hill, Handsworth

52.50018°N 1.92123°W / 52.50018; -1.92123		 1922 (1922) Bas-reliefStone [10]
Maternity Carnegie Welfare Institute, Hunter's Road, Hockley

52.49712°N 1.91522°W / 52.49712; -1.91522		 c. 1923–6 Painted mahogany [10]
Call, Front Line and Return Hall of Memory, Broad Street

52.4795°N 1.9070°W / 52.4795; -1.9070		 1925 (1925) Interior bas-relief carvings [10]

More images		 Sun and lettering Sun Insurance Building, Bennetts Hill

52.47991°N 1.90025°W / 52.47991; -1.90025		 1927 Bas-reliefStone [10]
Fox and Hollybush Acocks Green

52.44408°N 1.83418°W / 52.44408; -1.83418		 1927 (1927)–8 Bas-relief From former Fox Hollies pub.[10] Now on Lidl supermarket
Coat of arms and two lion reliefs Council House, Priory Road, Dudley

52.5122°N 2.0841°W / 52.5122; -2.0841		 1928 (1928) Façade on Council House[11]
War Memorial: George and the Dragon and lions on flagpoles Town Hall, Priory Street, Dudley

52.5115°N 2.0844°W / 52.5115; -2.0844		 1928 (1928) Also four bronze lions (1936) on flagpoles, Town Hall tower[11]
Running stag Perry Barr Stadium

52.519192°N 1.897717°W / 52.519192; -1.897717		 1929 (1929) Bas-reliefStone Logo of Birchfield Harriers. Attributed.[10]
The Antelope Sparkhill

52.453362°N 1.865753°W / 52.453362; -1.865753		 c. 1929 (1929) Bas-relief pub sign Designed by Bloye, sculpted by his assistant, Tom Wright[10]
Allegory of Painting Former Art Gallery, Avenue Road, Leamington Spa 1929 (1929) Sandstone Life-size female nude[12]

1930–1940
Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates		 Date TypeMaterialDimensions DesignationOwner / administrator Notes
Aesculapius Chest Clinic, Great Charles Street

52.4817°N 1.9047°W / 52.4817; -1.9047		 1930 Relief carvingStone [10]

More images		 Wisdom, Fortitude, Charity, Faith Legal and General Assurance Building, 7 Waterloo Street

52.480405°N 1.900024°W / 52.480405; -1.900024		 1932 (1932) Four bas relief panels Exterior high level bas-relief carvings.[10]
Sermon to the Birds St Francis of Assisi's Church, Bournville

52.42902°N 1.93558°W / 52.42902; -1.93558		 1933 Oak Part of Grade II listed building.[10]
Pan Aston Hall, Birmingham

52.50658°N 1.88577°W / 52.50658; -1.88577		 1934 (1934) [4][10]
Two stone vases Aston Hall, Birmingham

52.50666°N 1.88519°W / 52.50666; -1.88519
52.50642°N 1.88524°W / 52.50642; -1.88524		 1934 (1934) VasesStone Birmingham City Council [10]

More images		 Lamp of Knowledge Perry Common Library

52.535590°N 1.875583°W / 52.535590; -1.875583		 c. 1934 (1934) Bas-reliefstone [10]
Brookvale Pub Erdington

52.51399°N 1.85737°W / 52.51399; -1.85737		 1934 Pub sign with putto and grapesPainted stone [10]
Capitals and Heads Council House, Priory Road, Dudley

52.5122°N 2.0841°W / 52.5122; -2.0841		 1935 (1935) [11]
Dudley from the Wren's Nest Council House, Priory Road, Dudley

52.5121°N 2.0844°W / 52.5121; -2.0844		 1935 (1935) Two reliefsPlaster Within building – at entrance to council chamber and entrance to committee reception room[11]

More images		 Capitals and pediment sculptures New Oxford House, 16 Waterloo Street

52.479942°N 1.901489°W / 52.479942; -1.901489		 1935 (1935) Exterior: two capitals, shield above door and upstairs pediment and putto[10]
Dudley's Past Town Hall, corner of Priory Road and Priory Street, Dudley

52.5120°N 2.0839°W / 52.5120; -2.0839		 1935 (1935) [11]
Mother and Child, Young Child Playing 90 Lancaster Street, Birmingham

52.48731°N 1.89370°W / 52.48731; -1.89370		 c. 1935 Bas-reliefStone [10]
The Good Shepherd and Latin Cross Christ Church, Ward End

52.48984°N 1.82130°W / 52.48984; -1.82130		 c. 1935 Bas-reliefStone [10]
Royal Oak Lozells

52.502687°N 1.900501°W / 52.502687; -1.900501		 c. 1936 Stone Decoration around the doorway of a former pub (now a shop). Formerly brightly painted[10]
The Towers Tower Hill, Great Barr

52.535574°N 1.92062°W / 52.535574; -1.92062		 1936 Stone Bloye was responsible for all the stone carving on this brick building.[10]
St. Nicholas Rescuing the Three Children John Shelton School, Coventry (former) 1936 Lost after the school was demolished in 1999[12]

More images		 Spirit of Knowledge Yardley Wood Library

52.41856°N 1.85970°W / 52.41856; -1.85970		 c. 1936 Bas-reliefstone [10]
Bear and Staff The Bear Inn, Stratford Road, Sparkhill

52.448235°N 1.861201°W / 52.448235; -1.861201		 c. 1937 Bas-relief Pub sign, depicting symbol of Warwickshire, in which the area was located at the time of installation.[10] By September 2022 the Bear sculpture has been covered over by a new restaurant to be called Chai Green.[13]
The Boar's Head The Boar's Head, Perry Barr

52.529153°N 1.895465°W / 52.529153; -1.895465		 c. 1938 Wood Painted pub sign with model of a boar's head, on a pole.[10] Taken from the arms of the Gough-Calthorpe family of nearby Perry Hall
Library Emblem Yardley Library, Yardley

52.461°N 1.816°W / 52.461; -1.816		 1938
Aesculapius Medical School, University of Birmingham

52.45190°N 1.93813°W / 52.45190; -1.93813		 c. 1938 [10]
Apollo fountain Coronation Gardens, Ednam Road, Dudley

52.51277°N 2.08337°W / 52.51277; -2.08337		 1939 Sculpture on top of fountain [11] The model was international gymnast and basketball player Fred Starkey.[14] The plaster models are in the collection of Birmingham Museums Trust.[15]
Huntsman and Dog The Green Man Pub, High Street, Harborne

52.46138°N 1.94301°W / 52.46138; -1.94301		 c. 1940 Pub signPainted wood [10]

1950–1959
Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates		 Date TypeMaterialDimensions DesignationOwner / administrator Notes

More images		 Queen Victoria Victoria Square

52.479628°N 1.902998°W / 52.479628; -1.902998		 1951 Statue on pedestalBronze and stone Birmingham City Council Recast from a 1901 marble statue by Thomas Brock[10][16]
Christ All Saints' Church, Shard End

52.49454°N 1.77601°W / 52.49454; -1.77601		 1951–5 Statue in nicheStone [10]

More images		 Josiah Mason Junction of Chester Road & Orphanage Road, Erdington

52.531556°N 1.825128°W / 52.531556; -1.825128		 1952 Bust on plinthBronze Cast from a 1885 marble statue (subsequently destroyed) by Francis John Williamson, which stood opposite Mason Science College in Edmund Street[10]
Engineering Mechanical Engineering Building, University of Birmingham

52.44928°N 1.93509°W / 52.44928; -1.93509		 1954 Bas-relief [10]

More images		 Boulton, Watt and Murdoch Broad Street

52.478587°N 1.908395°W / 52.478587; -1.908395		 1956 (1956) Three statues on plinthGilded bronze Birmingham City Council Matthew Boulton, James Watt and William Murdoch[16]
John Skirrow Wright Birmingham Council House

52.480082°N 1.902760°W / 52.480082; -1.902760		 1956 BustBronze Cast from a marble statue (subsequently destroyed) by Francis John Williamson[10]
St. Alphege St. Alphege CofE Infants School, New Road, Solihull

52.41148°N 1.77450°W / 52.41148; -1.77450		 1959 Restored in 1994[12]

1960–1974
Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates		 Date TypeMaterialDimensions DesignationOwner / administrator Notes
Mermaid fountain University of Birmingham Guild of Students

52.44927°N 1.927225°W / 52.44927; -1.927225		 1960 FountainBronze [10]
Mermaid University of Birmingham Guild of Students

52.44951°N 1.92741°W / 52.44951; -1.92741		 1960 Wall mounted sculptureStone [10]
Decoration The Mermaid (public house), Sparkhill

52.456861°N 1.868761°W / 52.456861; -1.868761		 c. 1960 Bas-relief pub sign attributed to Alan Bridgewater.[10] Now missing (since 2012) after two fires and the roof was rebuilt. Now a venue here called Farro's.
Ceres – Goddess of Corn CB1, Mill Park, Cambridge 1962 SculptureBronze and concrete [17]
Wilfred Byng Kenrick Byng Kenrick Grammar School For Girls 1962, unveiled 1963 BustBronze Lost, believed stolen.[10]

More images		 Heraldic sculptures Fountain Court, Steelhouse Lane

52.48370°N 1.89494°W / 52.48370; -1.89494		 1964 Bas-reliefsStone A bronze statue of a girl in a fountain in a private courtyard at the same location is by Bloye.[10]
Coat of Arms Birmingham Dental Hospital

52.485875°N 1.895101°W / 52.485875; -1.895101		 c. 1973 Fibreglass Now removed.[10]

Date unknown
Image Title / subject Location and
coordinates		 Date TypeMaterialDimensions DesignationOwner / administrator Notes
Head of Man Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Plaster [9]

More images		 Ten ceiling panels Old Assembly Hall, Moseley School

52.44066°N 1.86433°W / 52.44066; -1.86433		 [18]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to William Bloye.
  1. "William James Bloye ARBS". Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851–1951. University of Glasgow History of Art. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  2. "Life of Birmingham sculptor William Bloye commemorated". City College. December 2010. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
  3. "Ornamental Fountain". National Recording Project. Public Monument and Sculpture Association. Archived from the original on 24 August 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  4. "The mystery of the headless statue". Birmingham Newsroom. Birmingham City Council. 17 January 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  5. Anon (1930). "The Spring Exhibition, 1930 (catalogue)". RBSA. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. Anon (1948). "Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition 1948 (catalogue)". RBSA. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. Anon (1961). "The Second Spring Exhibition, 1961 (catalogue)". RBSA. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. RBSA catalogues, 1962 onwards
  9. RBSA archives, catalogue number B43
  10. Noszlopy, George T. (1998). Public Sculpture of Birmingham including Sutton Coldfield. Public Sculpture of Britain. Vol. 2. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0-85323-682-8.
  11. Noszlopy, George T. (2005). Public Sculpture of Staffordshire and the Black Country. Public Sculpture of Britain. Vol. 9. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 978-0-85323-999-4.
  12. Noszlopy, George T. (2003). Public Sculpture of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull. Public Sculpture of Britain. Vol. 6. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0-85323-847-2.
  13. Anisah Vasta (8 September 2022). "Iconic Sparkhill pub The Bear to be transformed into 60 seater South Asian restaurant 'Chai Green'". Birmingham Mail.
  14. Anon (2 April 2001). "Former city man tribute". Birmingham Evening Mail. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. – via HighBeam Research, subscription needed
  15. Accession numbers: 1991P111; 1991P112
  16. A User's Guide to Public Sculpture. English Heritage / PMSA. 2000. ISBN 185074776-8.
  17. "Trail 1 – South Cambridge". Cambridge Sculpture Trails. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  18. The Moseleians Association – Moseley School and the work of William Bloye (1890–1975)
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