US National Trust promotes salvage

Galveston, Texas USA
Galveston's many hurricanes proved too much for one couple house, as it fell into disrepair they donated it to Galveston Historical Foundation if they would agree to move it of their land. Rather than demolishing the house the foundation has transported it in its entirety to the back yard of its Sealy Garage. Thanks to funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The cottage will be restored before serving as an annex to the foundation’s architectural salvage warehouse, which sells historic architectural elements, including windows, doors and shutters, to the island community.


Above: The 108-year-old commissary cottage arrives at its new home — the Galveston Historical Foundation warehouse at 23rd Street. The house was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ike. [photo. Galveston County Daily News]

Galveston County Daily News

Bath's wartime salvage scheme

Bath, Somerset UK
Evidence of early salvaging can be found in the book 'Bath at War 1939-1945' by David and Jonathan Falconer, printed in 1999 by Sutton Publishing Ltd. A brief chapter outlines Bath's salvage scheme, which was important during the war years and went hand in hand with the theme of thrift championed during the war campaign. The more self-sufficient Britain could become, the less foodstuffs and raw materials would need to be shipped in from overseas.

Answering the call for salvage, local salvage shops and street depots were set up for the collection of scrap iron, bones, waste paper aluminium pots and pans and countless other items that could be recycled for the war effort. By spring of 1941 some 12,000 Bath households were aiding the salvage scheme and the city took top place among the county boroughs for general salvage collection.


Above: A salvage collection point at the circus in Bath. [photo. Bath at War 1939-1945]


Above: Photo taken from the Chronicle, the caption reads 'It's pots and pans that will go a long way towards winning this war. Any quantity of aluminium articles will be welcomed at the depot of the Woman's Voluntary Service.' [photo. Bath at War 1939-1945]


Above: A salvage scheme leaflet which was issued to all Bath households in April 1941 by the City Engineer. [photo. Bath at War 1939-1945]

Upcycling in the home

Upcycling is a fairly new term for an old practice of taking a discarded object and reinventing them. The founders of Reclaimed Home do just that, reusing and upcycling unwanted items into decorative home treasures. "The thing about upcycling is that anything goes; it doesn’t have to look perfect or even make sense. Whatever it looks like, it’s better than it will look in the landfill," said Reclaimed Home.


Above: A pair of 1950’s water skis bought at a garage sale for $15 transformed into coat hooks.


Above: The towel bar was fabricated out of a Victorian window lintel, used copper pipe and antique glass doorknobs.


Above: This vintage mechanic’s toolbox was found at a garage sale for five bucks. The legs were found in a dumpster. Now it's a coffee table. If you have some longer legs on hand, tool boxes can also make great desks.


Etsy handmade blog

4 months of Salvo Fair features in Period Living!

Salvo Fair and three of it's regular Exhibitors are to be featured in Period Living over four issues. The March issue will feature Salvo Fair stalwarts Jason and Nadine from The Architectural Forum, Islington. In April look out for Steve and Laurence from Chancellors Church Furnishings in Surrey. May's magazine will cover Maud Lomberg from Beyond France (who we bumped into at Shepton Mallet's antique fair on the weekend). And lastly in June's issue will be a big Salvo Fair 2010 preview. Each month there will be a 2-for-1 ticket offer.

For bookings and enquiries call Ruby on 01225 422300. If you have booked let us know what you will be bringing along, and you could be part of the big feature.

Salvo Fair booking form download (1.6mb)

Salvo Fair

Period Living Magazine

Gordon Ramsay chooses Trainspotters

Fulham, London UK
Trainspotters helped with the interior design of the new Mansons restaurant in Fulham, London. They supplied a quantity of 1930's French Street pendant lights and hospital wall lights. The wall lights were customized to fit with the existing colour scheme, by re-powder coating them green.

The London Evening Standard

Thomas Crapper expands

Salvo code dealer Thomas Crapper has signed an exclusive three year licensing deal covering the UK, USA and other International territories with the brand consultancy company Golden Goose. The brand specialists hope to launch a range of consumer products from toiletries and gifts to bathroom accessories and paper goods using the Thomas Crapper name and logo.

Golden Goose director Adam Bass said: “Thomas Crapper is a world renowned brand name that has very little presence outside of the sanitaryware business where it is sold through a small number of top end suppliers. The brand is ripe for development and we are already talking to a number of potential licensees. The brand name itself will enable us to come up with some great creative concepts that will be fun and firmly tongue in cheek.”


Brand Licensing blog

Over 50 Staddle Stones stolen

Wiltshire, UK

Wiltshire police are appealing for information following a series of staddle stone thefts throughout the county. Reports claim that there has been over 20 separate thefts of stones, equating to over 50 bases and tops.

During the evening of Tuesday 19th January 2010 there were three separate thefts of staddle stones in Compton Chamberlayne, Ebbesborne Wake and Broadchalke. Two men aged 20 and 16 years from Salisbury and Child Okeford respectively were arrested on suspicion of theft but later released pending further enquiries.


The Missing List

Olympic stadium from guns

Above: Pict from inhabitat.
London, UK

As London 2012 Olympics draws closer London's construction plans are taking shape. Inhabitat has reported that the sustainable Olympic stadium is going to be made out of confiscated guns and knives from the Metropolitan Police Department. The weapons will be melted down into scrap metal and used to help build the stadium in an attempt to lower its environmental impact.


inhabitat

Britain's most famous street is set to be demolished

Coronation Street, Weatherfield UK

As ITV's veteran soap celebrates its 50th anniversary next year a report has claimed that Coronation Street is scheduled for demolition. Following the appointment of Archie Norman as ITV chairman, negotiations have begun again to relocate the soap's famous pub and cobbled streets to the £600m MediaCityUK development in Salford Quays. The proposals would see the cobbled streets of Weatherfield demolished and rebuilt at the new location as producers are keen to update the exterior of the set.

Stv

Tiffany window will be sold to fund homeless shelter

Boston, MA USA

A dwindling church congregation has voted to sell its valuable, stained-glass Tiffany window so it can keep its homeless shelter open. In November, the membership of the First Baptist Church in Brattleboro, Vermont voted 20 to four to sell the Tiffany work, which depicts St John the Divine, and is signed by Tiffany Studios.


The Art Newspaper

Salvo Fair 2010 - bookings coming in nicely!

Above: The Van de Vouwer pitch at Salvo Fair 2009

Bookings and enquiries for Salvo Fair 2010 are steadily mounting. Snowy conditions have not hindered the interest showing for the trade's big summer jamboree.

Van de Wouwer Decoration in Belgium have booked a big pitch again. Jeroen has got his hands on load of industrial looking, metal boxes and some enamel and glass lampshades from old factories, a few old cigarette vending machines, and a WWII suitcase saved from an old farm full of goodies from the era. Amongst others Tina Pasco, Cox's Yard, Architectural Forum and V & V Reclamation have also booked.

Salvo Fair

Webinar with Jonathan Essex and Thornton Kay

JONATHAN Essex of BioRegional and Thornton Kay of Salvo Llp will present a Webinar on the 3rd February at 3pm - 3.45pm on Pushing Reuse and the decline in the reclamation of construction materials as recycling has boomed in the past 15 years. It will showcase a number of case studies demonstrating the carbon savings of building material reuse, and recommend government actions and policy changes.

The webinar is being organised by the worldwide 2 Degrees Network whose members aim to prevent the tempearture of the earth from rising by more than 2 degrees by 2100.

To join the webinar please follow the link '2 Degrees: Zero Waste Network' below and click on 'join now'.

2 Degrees: Zero Waste Network

The full text of Pushing Reuse

The webinar presentation should be viewable at any time after the event as well, but the question and answer session will not.

Love Albert Road

Above: Ian Parmiter outside his shop on Albert Road [photo. Thor Haley]

Southsea, Hampshire UK
A summary of the Antique Trade Gazette article, by Joan Porter

Following a decline in street trade Ian Parmiter of Parmiter Antiques decided that he should do something about it. "I talked to other businesses in the road about my idea and gained a lot of support. What was wanted was an annual event, so I formed a group called 'Love Albert Road' in which all the businesses would club together and create some publicity for this once thriving area."

Mr Parmiter could not have predicted the success of the event as the first year saw over 20,000 people which was followed by 50,00 in 2008 and 85,000 last year. "The whole street is buzzing with visitors, all the shops are doing well, with more folk wanting to buy businesses here," said Mr Parmiter.

The next 'Love Albert Road' festival is on September 26.

The ATG article finishes with Mr Parmiter pondering on the possibility of coming to this years Salvo Fair.


Love Albert Road

Parmiters Architectural Antiques

Reports of a booming Salvo Fair

Joan Porter of Antiques Trade Gazette reports on Salvo Fair (16 January 2010).

'Advance news from the Salvo Fair organisers who had their busiest fair to date last year, despite the recession.

Ruby Kay tells me that with around 6,000 visitors expected over the three days of the fair, the number of stands has been capped at 80-75 of which are reserved for antiques and reclaimed materials.

"We want to make sure visitors have enough money to go round the number of exhibitors," she explains. "As visitor numbers increase, we will increase the number of exhibitors. Exhibitors re-booking tend to reserve bigger pitches so, even with the 80-stand cap, we expect to see the fair grow in scale."

Among the more quirky offerings at the June 25 (trade day) to June 27 fair, are two cast-iron radiators once owned by Orson Welles, from well known purveyors of all things reclaimed, Architectural Forum of Islington.

The Salvo organisers are particularly keen to welcome groups of specialist collectors as exhibitors of architectural, garden and decorative items.'


Salvo Fair

Exhibition Louis XIV, the man and king

Chateau de Versailles, Versailles France

The Palace of Versailles is displaying a major exhibition dedicated Louis XIV until 7 February 2010. It is the first major exhibition devoted to the king's personality and personal tastes. Louis XIV saw himself as a king who was the protector of the arts and a collector, and the richness of his image arguably has no precedent in history. The exhibition consists of over 300 Paintings, sculptures, objets d’art and furniture from around the world that have never been together in the same place before.


Above: Apollo tended by the nymphs, Francois Girardon and Thomas Regnaudin 1667-1675. [photo: Palace of Versailles website]


Above: Armour of Louis XIV, Giovanni Battista and Francesco da Garbagnate. [photo: Palace of Versailles website]


Palace of Versailles

PDF of the exhibition

Over 10,000 artifacts retrieved

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA)has helped Jeddah to retrieve more than 10,000 of its artifacts from other countries. Prince Sultan bin Salman said, "Retrieving antiquities has now become a national issue and the government will continue its efforts to bring back Saudi artifacts scattered across the world." It is hoped that these artifacts will be housed in a new museum as plans to establish a major Islamic and national museum at Al-Khozam Palace in Jeddah and a Qur’an museum in Madinah are gathering pace.

Further, Prince Sultan said the Jeddah would host the first international conference on architectural heritage on April 18. “The commission is committed to bringing about a qualitative change in people’s perception of national heritage and antiquities. We have presented an application to UNESCO to register the historical area of Jeddah and we hope it would be voted on after two years,” he said. “We are now working on a number of programs to develop Old Jeddah into an architectural heritage site of international importance but we are facing a lot of challenges,” the prince said.

Arab News

Two protected buildings to be demolished

Ennistymon, Co. Clare Ireland - CLARE COUNTY Council is planning to demolish two of the best-known and most photographed buildings in Ennistymon to provide space for a roundabout to alleviate traffic congestion. Both of the adjoining Linnane's buildings are protected, and have original shopfronts and thick Liscannor slate roofs. Other options to ease the traffic have been ruled out because they have been deemed too expensive. The council are currently liaising with with the heritage division of the Department of the Environment, the Arts Council, the Heritage Council and An Taisce.

Save Ennistymon Heritage group; the group set up to to save Blakes Corner has been running concerts to raise funds for its campaign and they are currently collecting signatures for a public petition against the plan.



Irish Times

One-of-a-kind find

Rocheport, Missouri USA - An antique two panel door has been transformed into a headboard for a bed or a mantle piece.

Snowbound yard

Above: Cox's Architectural yard during the big freeze.

Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire UK
Everyone has inevitably been effected by the recent weather and the phrase 'Adverse Weather Conditions' already seems to be the catch phrase for 2010!

Peter Watson of Cox's Architectural Salvage Yard questions, "How is the trade coping with this blanket which seems to have closed much of the country down. 12 - 15" deep here in the Cotswolds and likely to frrreeeeeze in situ for another 7 days. Road gritting is sparse and on one of the A roads into Moreton non existent. The town is dead, tumbleweed is blowing down the high street, no one shopping and no one stopping on the way through as usual, in fact hardly anyone passing through at all. We have had no visitors since Monday. The seriousness of this is not to be taken lightly. After the traditionally 2 quiet weeks of Xmas and the New Year, the loss of another 2 weeks of sales and cash flow immediately after could make life difficult.

On the bright side, those folks remaining at home have been hard at it on the Internet and our hits and sales by this medium are up, the telephone has been busy and so all is not lost.

Predictions for 2010? Personally I just don't know. Before the break I was optimistic, as the last quarter of 09 was pretty good. After the break, having heard about Walcot's demise (quite a shock being one of the originators & stalwarts of the trade over so many years) and after listening to the BBC start the election campaign all on its own (there is as much as 5 months of this self inflicted depression to go
for heavens sake!)I just can't make my mind up.

I'm opting for optimism and meanwhile enjoying the relative calm of being snowbound."

Ironically not long after Peter Watson sent this entry for the blog they hired a snow plough to remove some of the snow and make the yard accessible. "Within half an hour we had a couple in from the Isle of Man who bought some Belfast sinks. It's just so unpredictable. That's part of the fun of course," said Mr Watson.





Cox's Architectural Salvage Yard

Photo's of North Russian Architecture

Above: Richard Davies will be publishing a book on wooden Russian church later this year [copyright Richard Davies].

Independent Photographers Gallery, Battle UK
Richard Davies has a keen interest in architecture and has been photographing wooden churches in the Russian North since 2002. His interest was initially sparked by the Russian artist, stage designer and illustrator Ivan Bilibin who traveled to the Vologda Province in the North of Russia in 1902 to photograph the wooden churches. Mr Davies was interested to see how these churches had withstood the ravages of Commmunism.

"Many churches do still exist and recently work has started on the restoration of a few but most are in a perilous state and will not survive for many more years," said Mr Davies. Since February 2006 he has travelled with the writer Matilda Moreton. As a Russian speaker her interviews with local people, historians and other experts has given them a deeper understanding of the churches place in the community together with insights into the lives of the people they have met. Together they have put on an exhibition at the Schusev State Museum of Architecture in Moscow, which was greatly received and it is hoped that it would attract the attention of those who could ensure the survival of these extraordinary buildings.

A selection Mr Davies photographs are currently being exhibited at the Independent Photographers Gallery in Battle, East Sussex until January 16th 2010.


Above: photo. copyright Richard Davies


Above: photo. copyright Richard Davies


Above: photo. copyright Richard Davies

Richard Davies

The Independent Photographers Gallery

Reports of a Viking invasion

Viking Reclamation, South Yorkshire UK
Local South Yorkshire newspaper 'The Star' reports on a Viking invasion in the form of Viking Reclamation. Reporter Rachael Clegg comments on how owner Craig Lloyd's stocklist sounds like a museum catalogue, calling it a 'Wizard of OZ version of B&Q'.
She takes a tour through their vast yard and acknowledges the wonder of architectural remnants, interiors fittings and building materials, like props from a period drama. Mr Lloyd enlightens the tour by providing the history and story behind many of the pieces including the gates from the old Doncaster Fruit Market which he has recently sold to a man in Lincoln "who’s had a wall built especially at the back of his house so he can put them in,” said Mr Lloyd.

“Sometimes you buy things and they can sit there for two or three years, then, all of a sudden, the right person comes along and they’ll buy it. We do get some oddballs coming in here but I tend to get on with them!” said Mr Lloyd.


Site

The pro's of predemolition audits

The BRE have recently been commissioned to carry out a predemolition audit for Wellingborough Swimming Pool. The audit enables the local council to set demolition tender targets, implement a site waste management plan and maximise resource efficiency. ‘Using the information from the predemolition audit, we were able to exceed our targets for recycling site waste,' said Chris Pittman, Head of Policy, Partnerships and Property at the Borough Council of Wellingborough, ‘and achieve the high levels of resource efficiency we were looking for.'

The audit estimated the quantities of the different materials encased in the building and identified those materials that could be diverted for reuse and recycling. The waste hierarchy typically has four elements: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and as a last resort disposal.

The BRE audit identified the types of materials that would be generated by demolishing the swimming pool site - such as concrete, inert materials, metals and general waste - and calculated the quantities of each. The audit found that at least 95% of the overall weight of the materials was suitable for recycling, and that several fixtures and fittings, such as the security fencing, could be reused. The audit encouraged demolition contractors to use salvoWEB and SalvoMIE as a market place for the materials and the directory for a list of salvage yards who maybe interested in the reusable items.


BRE

Calling all designers and creatives

Liberty, Great Marlborough Street London UK
Liberty's are hoping to find the best of young British designers as they call for 'all potential designers and creative talents to come forward with their ideas.' A panel of experts including ex-Bergdorf Goodman Senior VP Ed Burstell and top names from the press, fashion retail and buyers will access the products and the best designs will get the chance to have their products sold at Liberty.

To download the design open call registration form please use the link below;

Liberty

Old Master sculpture and works of art at Sotheby's

Sotheby's, New Bond Street London
Sotheby's sale of old Master sculpture and works of art on 8 December 2010, sale total £2,484,775.


Above: Set of four sandstone grotesques, thirteenth century or early fourteenth century. Estimated at £10,000-£15,000 and sold for £16,250 including buyers premium.



Above: A fourteenth or fifteenth century limestone French winged goat measuring 30 by 33 by 91cm. Estimated at £3,000-£5,000 and sold for £17,500 including buyers premium.



Above: An Italian partly classical 2nd century ad, restored circa 1823 A charging panther Marble tesserae measuring 39 by 41cm including the border. Estimated at £15,000-£20,000 and sold for £39,650 including buyers premium.



Above: A pair of Putti from Germany in gilt and polychromed wood, each measuring 49cm. Estimated at £6,000-£8,000 and sold for £8,750 including buyers premium.


Sotheby's

Walcot Reclamation goes into voluntary administration

Bath, UK
The recession appears to have hit Walcot Reclamation hard as they have been forced into voluntary administration. Its owners Jane and Rick Knapp said they had been fighting "a losing battle" over the past few months and had to admit defeat in their recent plans to regroup and relocate to the Bathampton site.

A notice from the couple on the business's website says that if any 'person should feel the call then there is a ready to roll business there, complete with excellent experienced staff, a wide range of good quality stock, yard, warehouses, trucks and forklifts and a business name known both nationally and internationally.' If the couple do not find anyone to take over the business they will proceed with an auction of the remaining stock at the end of January at which Mr Knapp says that there will be 'plenty of bargains' to be had. Further, Mr and Mrs Knapp thanked everyone for their support since they first started the company in 1977.

Anyone interested is asked to contact Graham Cockle at BCVA auctioneers and valuers on 0117 9533676 or email gcockle@dnfa.com.


Walcot Reclamation

Sash windows are not so bad after all

New scientific evidence is available from the English Heritage to counteract some of the misconceptions about the energy efficiency of original sash windows. Recent findings have shown that with simple repairs and basic improvements significant reductions of draughts and heat loss can easily be achieved.

Key findings have shown that Simple repairs to mend cracks and eliminate gaps can significantly reduce the amount of air infiltration or draughts by around one third. Also, adding draught proofing can reduce air infiltration by 86%. More elaborate measures reduce heat loss even more and can improve windows to meet modern Building Regulations, which target a U value for windows of 2 or below.

Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: “It is very encouraging to see that more buildings are being refurbished to meet modern energy requirements, but all too often a drastic and insensitive approach has led to the degradation of our streetscapes . Many original timber sash windows have lasted more than two hundred years and are capable of lasting another century. This piece of research provides the hard evidence that shows how easy it is to upgrade them and supports our call for their retention.”


English Heritage