Topic: anyone heard of Geoffrey Franklin?

[Heidimin]

...designer active in the early 60s, possibly glass, possibly textiles or some other medium. Possibly also connected with RCA?

Intriguingly, the 1961-62 Sherdley catalogue for screen-printed tumblers gives him design credit alongside Alexander Hardie Williamson. (Most of the designs for that year are shown in this advert: http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-3301.)

Quite exciting, given that the screen-printed tumblers are generally assumed to have been all AHW's work. 

[David E]

I wonder if he was associated with the Merrymaker range, rather than the more obvious tumblers, which do appear to be AHW's domain?

[Sue C]

I'm really sorry havent had time to read through all this, any help?? http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/eras/edition_4/allen.htm

[David E]

Possible: the article gives a date:

Geoffrey Franklin Collings was described as a twenty-eight year old 'Commercial Designer' and Dulcie May Willmott as a twenty-three year old 'Commercial Artist' at the time of their marriage in 1933

So in 1960, he would have been about 55, so still within the bounds of possibilities. Only snag could be the surname - he does appear to be known as Geoffrey Collings.

Still, a good hit, Sue  :clap:

Edit: Heidi, mght be a false bit of research, but try searching for
 "Geoffrey Collings" +design

Date: Geoffrey Collings (1905-2000)

Also: http://www.dhub.org/object/361677,handmade ... does seem to be more film orientated.

[Frank]

And no mention of glass.

[David E]

He might have only had a short relationship with United Glass (first time we heard the name was at Himley), and the emphasis was on the design of transfers, not the glass itself, of course. However, I do think this could be a wild goose chase.

[Heidimin]

Thanks, Sue and others.

There's a slightly more readable biography of Collings at: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=361677.

I think the major problem with this identification is that after a period in London in the 1930s, Collings seems to have settled back in Australia, apart from one period in New York in the early 1950s. And by the 1960s he seems to have abandoned commercial design completely for film and photography.

There's also an American enamellist by the name of Geoffrey Franklin who wrote one of the core texts in the 1970s. But again, the geography is problematic.