W. Gordon Hunton, textile designer : records

Designs for dust jackets and cards (1903 - 1907); sketchbooks (1903 - 1908); pencil drawings (ca. 1906); account books (1906 - 1935); personal papers of W. Gordon Hunton (1907 - 1929); watercolours depicting birds, flowers and landscapes (ca.1909); catalogues and leaflets of textile and wallpaper retailers (ca. 1910 - ca.1930); permit book (1918); correspondence (1918 - 1944); presentation designs for textiles and wallpaper (ca. 1922 - 1937); designs for textiles and wallpaper (1928 - 1933); correspondence with Patent Office (1929); correspondence with solicitor (1929); patent and registration of glass design repeater (1929); glass design repeater (1929); technical designs for glass design repeater (1929); book plates for English decorative textiles; tapestry and chintz, their design and development from the earliest times to the 19th century (ca. 1930); design log (1932 - 1937); artwork of birds (undated); artwork of flowers (undated); cretonne designs (undated); floral designs (undated); photographs of antique textiles (undated); photographs of designs for textiles and wallpaper (undated); photographs of the studio of W.G. Hunton and employees (undated); preliminary presentation designs for textiles and wallpaper (undated); press cuttings (undated); sketches (undated); sketches depicting flowers (undated); textile samples (undated); wallpaper samples (undated); working designs for textiles and wallpaper (undated).

The firm of W. Gordon Hunton, based in London and later in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, was set up by W. Gordon Hunton (1885 - 1933), a freelance designer of textiles and wallpapers. The firm employed one to two assistants and sold mostly traditional floral designs to leading manufacturers including the Calico Printers' Association, G.P. & J. Baker, Liberty & Co., Simpson & Godlee, Stead McAlpine & Co., Stonnards and Tootal Broadhurst. In 1929 Hunton patented a glass design repeater, an instrument for ascertaining the effect of a repetition of a design. Hunton was a connoisseur of the applied and fine arts and collected a number of art books and examples of antique furniture. In 1930 he published English decorative textiles; tapestry and chintz, their design and development from the earliest times to the 19th century. After Hunton's death in 1933, the business continued under Ernest George Lockwood until 1935, although designs continued to be sold by Vanda Hunton, W. Gordon Hunton's widow, until 1942.

This archive collection is available for consultation in the V&A Study Rooms by appointment only. Full details of access arrangements may be found here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/archives/.

Access to some of the material may be restricted. These restrictions are noted in the catalogue where relevant.

Purchased from Mallams, 1987

Information on copying and commercial reproduction may be found here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/archives/.