ECCLESTON GEORGE PUBLIC ARTISTS

At last we can confirm that the world renowned Victorian Landscaper James Pulham, from whom we get much of our landscaping inspiration, did indeed complete at least on commission on the Isle of Wight where we live. We're still unsure if he created any of his 'Naturalistic Rock Formations' but we have been able to verify that a rather beautiful ornate fountain on Ryde Esplanade is the work of James Pulham and Son.

The above photo taken from an original Pulham catalogue was sent to us by Pulham expert Claude Hitching and we think shows beyond all doubt that the fountain in Ryde is a version of the Pulham 'Sunderland Fountain', there are a few small differences between them but it's clear they originate from the same maker. The picture below shows the fountain in Ryde during it's heyday.

Now though it's very clear the Ryde 'Sunderland Fountain' has seen better days and is in need of a lot of restoration, the urns are all missing and of course the cherub and dolphin centrepiece is long gone........we are of course on to this and we're now making investigations in to the feasibility of bringing the feature back to it's former glory. We've made great headway with the possibilty of replacing the cherub and doliphin by doing some research work with our family and friends over at DGO Restoration in Porchester and we already have our hands on a copy of the missing centrepiece ready for casting. See below. 

At the moment this is a labour of love for us at Eccleston George and DGO Restoration, all the research and development work so far has been funded by us both. In order to take the project to the next stage we're going to need fiancial help....luckily we've one or two ideas about that too, so watch this space!

By the way, does anyone recognise this Fountain (above) as one that they might have seen somewhere on the Isle of Wight in times gone by? We understand that the fountain was removed from wherever it was located on the Island and taken to a new home in the USA where it still resides. Pulham expert and author of 'Rock creations by the Pulhams' Claude Hitching is trying to find out where exactly the original Isle of Wight home was of this unusual and distinctive Pulham fountain. If you think recognise it or might know where it once stood please let us know so that we can pass it on to Claude.