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Rogers, George Alfred (1838-1897)

Rogers, George Alfred

London; wood carver (b.1838-d.1897)

George Alfred Rogers was born into a family of carvers in 1838; his father, William Gibbs Rogers and his brother, William Harry Rogers, were both in the trade. His father exhibited carvings and furniture at the 1851 Great Exhibition and perhaps with his sons at the 1862 London International Exhibition (illus. Meyer (2006), pp. 52 & 134).

In 1861 George Alfred was living with his parents and siblings at 9 Soho Square. Five years later - on 13 January 1866 - he was married to Ann J. Rogers in Hammersmith. By 1871 they were living at 29 Maddox Street, Hanover Square in Mayfair, George described as an 'artist in wood'. They remained at this address for the rest of George's life [England, Select Marriages, 1538-1973; 1871-91 census].

George participated in the 1878 Paris Exhibition, receiving a prize for his chimney piece carved in oak and other specimens of wood carving. In 1880 he organised an exhibition of Ancient and Modern Carving in the Albert Hall, in part associated with the School of Art Wood Carving, whose headquarters were in the Albert Hall [The Furniture Gazette, 28 September 1878].

The 1881 census described him as a master carver and dealer with three assistants, living at 29 Maddox Street; this was his recorded address from 1880 until his death. During 1881 he exhibited a pearwood carving of a dead canary, by Jean Demontreuil, in his studio. In 1883 he again exhibited woodcarvings in his studio, this time carved by his father [1881 census; The Furniture Gazette, 25 June 1881 & 3 March 1883].  Like his father, George Alfred is believed to have carved breadboards; an example with convolvulus frame of carved bindweed, is at the Antique Breadboard Museum, London; illus. Neave (2019), p. 168.

In 1879 Rogers published ' The Art of wood-carving : practical hints to amateurs'. 

His final exhibition was in May 1884 at the Exhibition of Works in Wood, organised by the Worshipful Turners’ and Carpenters’ Companies. There he displayed items from his collection: a Gothic cupboard door and a pair of doors from a 15th-century buffet, made in Nuremburg, after Albert Durer [The Furniture Gazette, 31 May 1884]. 

In 1887 he presented a lecture to the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts. He showed examples of his father's early carvings, ending his talk by suggesting that a 'Hall of Wood-Carving' be established under the management of metropolitan wood carvers, to present exhibitions and encourage the higher education of wood-carvers, so to alleviate the general feeling that the 'art of wood carving' was declining [The Furniture Gazette, 1 March 1887].  

The Rogers' firm provided carving work for J. M. Levien, Trollope and other cabinet makers.

George Alfred Rogers died on 30 August 1897. His will was probated on 9 October with effects of £1573.

Sources: Aslin, 19th Century English Furniture (1962); Meyer, Great Exhibitions. London, New York, Paris, Philadelphia. 1851-1900 (2006); Neave, Vintage Breadboards (2019).