Hudson, Solomon

16 Gt Titchfield Street, Cavendish Square, London; carver and gilder, cabinet maker and upholder (fl. 1780–93)

Clearly a skilful and highly esteemed craftsman, he received prestigious patronage, and carried out work according to Robert Adam's designs.

Image

Copyright (Attribution/Credit)

British Museum

Trade card of Solomon Hudson , Carver and Gilder, N^o 16 Titchfield Street, Cavendish Square, 1791 [D,2.1305]. © The Trustees of the British Museum

Hudson purchased a Sun Insurance policy on 10 April 1787 for £1,700 on household goods, utensils and stock in workshops behind his house [The London Archives (TLA), Sun MS vol. 342, ref. 529400].

He subscribed to George Richardson's Treatise on the Five Orders of Architecture, 1787.

Commissions

• West Wycombe Park, Buckinghamshire, Supplied looking glass frames for which he was paid £42 on 25 November 1780. [James Lees-Milne, West Wycombe Park, Bucks.]
• New Burlington Street, London, Carried out much clearly sumptuous work for Sir John Griffin of Audley End, Essex, carving and gilding picture frames and architectural features at his London house. In 1781 he was paid £160 for two pier glasses and frames; and on 27 May 1783 he receipted a long bill for £107 10s 4d. This included, on 23 December 1782, ‘4 Oval straining frames for Mr. Rebecca's pictures’, costing 10s, and sent to Audley End; on 28 December regilding the ogee moulding in the Drawing Room at New Burlington Street; on 31 December ‘Carving of 4 rich Garandoles from Mr. Adam's designs, Gilt in Burnish Gold, with 2 branches to Each Compleat’, costing £31 4s; and ‘Carving 4 Rich Ornaments with 4 Oval frames Gilt in Burnish Gold Compleat’ and fixing, £32 3s. In 1783 Hudson charged £16 for ‘Carving a Large Oval Carlomoral picture frame for Lady Griffins portrait Gilt in Burnish Gold wood-work and Turning Compleat’; and ‘Carving a Large Ornament of Drapery festoons with other enrichments Gilt in Burnish Gold from Mr. Adam Design’, for £6 16s 6d. On 18 February 1783 he charged 11s for ‘One Man's time & Materials making good the Gilding of all the Chairs & Sophas in Drawing Room’; and on 17 May, for ‘Carving of two large Circular picture frames, Gilt in Burnish Gold, Turning & Wood work Comp.t’. [Essex RO, D/DBy/A 39/4; A41/5; A212] Hudson is also recorded as having supplied a ‘rich picture frame 4 ins broad to a pattern gilt in burnish gold wood and complete for the View of Audley End House’, costing £5 10s 6d in 1789. [J. D. Williams, Audley End, the Restoration of 1762–1797, p. 40] As Lord Howard, Sir John Griffin Griffin continued to patronise Solomon Hudson, commissioning three carved and gilt picture frames from him for his London House in New Burlington St in 1790, totalling £15 13s 3d. [Essex Record Office, D/ DBy/A50/4]
• Blickling Hall, Norfolk, recorded for supplying the Earl of Buckinghamshire with large gilt pier and chimney glasses, frames for tapestry and two fulllength portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte in June 1782. His bill totalled £409 6s 6d. [National Trust Guide to Blickling Hall, p. 38; Wills, Looking-Glasses; Heal]

In 1793 Hudson retired from trade, and his remaining stock in trade was sold by Mr Christie at 16 Great Titchfield Street on 12 and 13 June. The catalogue listed his stock, which included ‘Pictures, fine prints by Hogarth, framed and glazed, loose drawings, prints, books, and a variety of valuable effects… large glasses of distinguished magnitude, superb girandoles and candelabras; beautiful inlaid pier tables, writing desks, teaboards, chests, caddies, excellent mahogany tables of various denominations; dressing stands, glasses, escritoires, and a profusion of neat articles in the cabinet, carving and gilding branches, finished in a stile of superior workmanship, from the most approved designs of the principal nobility. Also a large quantity of old picture frames, carved ornaments, work benches, old iron, lead &c…’. [Christie's archives, 8 King Street, London; County. Life, 6 October 1950, p. 1090].

He is perhaps the Hudson, carver of London named in the account book of Rev. Robert Thelwall of Redbourne Hall, Lincolnshire, on 22 November 1772, receiving £95. [Lincoln Record Office, RED 3/1/4/6/2].

He is also perhaps the ‘S.H., carver’, who published Twelve New Designs for Frames for Looking-Glasses, Pictures &c., on 3 February 1779. He has been recorded, apparently erroneously, as Stephen Hudson.

Source: DEFM