Dear Philip and Reg, Hope you are well. I hope you like one or other or both of these pictures showing Bleeding Heart Yard (in 1972) and St Mary Woolnoth (19 August 2014).
‘Found’ this image of Bleeding Heart Yard (1972) in my book on British Woodcuts. The print is by an artist new to me (you probably know her work): Hilary Paynter.
This next image is a bit of nostalgia and self-indulgence. No apologies! This shows St Mary Woolnoth. It remains one of my favourite City churches. It was designed by the wonderful Nicholas Hawksmoor (c.1661-1736) – whose Christ Church, Spitalfields you know, Philip. The lighting and colours shown are just as I saw them: neutral tones plus the notes of yellow, pale blue, and pink. It was a happy accident, despite the jaunty angle.
Please pass on to any other (possibly) interested friends and contacts.
Best wishes, Nodge.
Philip Marriage adds: Thanks for your piccies. I wasn’t aware of Hilary Paynter before but I must say she’s captured Bleeding Heart Yard so well and at a time when we knew it – old Mr Lawrence’s premises selling exotic papers and wood engraving tools were on the second floor of the sombre building on the left of the engraving, up a rickety wooden staircase. At the end of the building was a passageway (the shaft of light on the woodcut) leading to Ely Place and just off, The Old Mitre pub which I know the HMSO studio occasionally frequented. I’m pretty sure this rather poor photo from 1972 is of you and Adrian Young departing the pub’s passageway.
I’ve never been inside St Mary Woolnoth however, though I must have passed nearby every day for over a decade in the 1960s on the No 11 bus to Liverpool Street and my commute home to Enfield. Hawksmoor was indeed a remarkable architect and every one of his six London churches are special in some way – especially, for me, Christ Church Spitalfields of course!
John Eason adds: I remember St Mary Woolnoth gets a reference in The Waste Land by T S Eliot. “A crowd flowed over London Bridge etc etc”. I knew A level English would come in useful at some time. Nice to see it and the engraving.
Nodge Carnegie replies: Many thanks for your photograph (quality good enough for what seems to be an accurate double identification). That passage way into Ely Place was always (and remains) intriguing. Glad you like the Hilary Paynter image, which struck me as being just right for your time of visiting ‘The Yard’. Full agreement about Nicholas Hawksmoor. If you don’t know it (you probably do), the Kerry Downes book about him in the Thames and Hudson World of Art series is a gem. Time for a quick look.
Adrian Young adds: Thanks for the woodcut view of Bleeding Heart Yard and the other pics as well. I have fond memories of lunch time visits and trying to gain entrance by sounding like worthy clients.
I just pulled this Japanese paper swatch out of my bookshelf where it has been sitting for the last 40+ years. I can’t bring myself to throw it away just yet – and I’ve just remembered that I had six of the series published by J L Carr, 27 Mill Dale Road, Kettering. Mr Lawrence must have sold these as well.
The added bonus was to find two Halley’s Comet stamps between the pages. I’ll leave them for someone else to find one day. And now I have looked through them all for the first time in a few years. J L Carr seems to have been a witty character. I hope his books were a success. So many pieces of paper . . .
Excellent – especially the Wood Engraving books comment. Reg.
Philip Marriage adds: ‘So many pieces of paper’ – lovely reminders of another age. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hilary Paynter bought her wood engraving tools from old Mr Lawrence. It’s interesting to note her view of Bleeding Heart Yard is from high up, third floor maybe, so perhaps she had a studio there? I’ve found these two reminders of Mr Lawrence with, in the left hand portrait, the curving wooden rickety stairs top right and the view of Bleeding Heart Yard, bottom right, looking identical to the main view. Could this be by Hilary Paynter with her carrying a portfolio under her arm?
Very good. Mr Lawrence would be proud. Reg.