Additional inscriptions
When not working to commission and producing new pieces, I also offer additional inscriptions to existing memorials and historic masonry where required. Although there may be less creativity involved, these projects require no less skill as one must match as closely as possible the hands of the earlier carvers. These projects usually begin by taking meticulous rubbings of the earlier inscriptions and from these producing an alphabet of letterforms to use for the new inscriptions. It is important to match the earlier inscriptions in terms of letterforms but also spacing, layout and the overall design. I very much enjoy the historical aspect of this work.
Watch a short video about a recent project updating the lettering at the Newcastle Civic Centre Banqueting Hall.
Video by Andy Robson at Newcastle City Council.
Case Study - Newcastle Civic Centre Banqueting Hall
This project involved carving some additional inscriptions within the Newcastle Civic Centre Banqueting Hall. This building was completed in 1967 so is quite new, but inside the Banqueting Hall are carved the names of the Newcastle City Lord Mayors and Sheriffs for every year since 1216. There is a also a wall devoted to the 'Honorary Freemen of the City of Newcastle Upon Tyne', as well as the names of some of the sculptors and stone carvers who worked on the building. That's a lot of lettercutting for one building! My task was to add the names of the Lord Mayors, Sheriffs and 'Freemen' of the City for the last four years, as well as my own name on the 'Stone Carvers' wall. The most recent 2022 'Freeman' of the City is Shaka Hislop, former Newcastle United goalkeeper and founder of the anti-racism charity 'Show Racism the Red Card.'
I began as usual by taking multiple rubbings of the earlier lettering in order to create my alphabet of letterforms. I could see many different hands in the carving but chose to base mine mainly on the most recent. The most challenging part was contending with the many vertical joints messing up my spacing! There was no precedent in the earlier lettering for carving straight through the joints (and besides this can be challenging to do so) so I chose to do the same. As a result the spacing looks a little awkward around some of the joints, but it works within the overall context which is generally the main goal of an additional inscription. The pictures below show some of this process.
