By Virginia Ewart | Hansons’ Costume, Textiles & Accessories Consultant
Attention all lovers of mid-century textile design! Hansons has uncovered a huge 1950s collection by designers who collaborated with renowned maker Frank Designs.
Frank Designs was owned by designer/artist Julius H Frank (1897-1985). Frank fled Germany in 1936 to escape the Nazi uprising and decided to make his home in Britain.
He established his company in Hendon, Greater London, and then Manchester. He employed 25 designers including refugees like himself. His creative team briefly including his friends Walter Nessler, a graphic artist and painter, and textile designer Tibor Reich. Frank Designs textiles were sold across Northern America and Europe as well as in Britain.
This collection on offer at Hansons Auctioneers brims with the work of mainly French designers. The textiles were sent to Frank’s chief saleswoman Mrs Alice Friedler, a refugee from Vienna. They were discovered in the attic at her home when it was sold. Mrs Friedler was a close friend of Frank. She worked for him throughout his time at the Manchester studio.
These joyous, colourful designs include designs for silk scarves, clothing and children’s wear in novelty prints, abstract, floral and everything in between. They are pieces of art in their own right.
The collection has been split into lots and will be up for grabs in the September and December specialist textiles sales held at Hansons’ Staffordshire saleroom, Bishton Hall.
The first opportunity to bid on these colourful textiles comes in the September 19 Toys, Dolls & Teddy Bears: Costume, Textiles & Accessories Auction.
Artists represented include Marc Jaffre, Elisabeth Neyer-Brown, R Bielle and P Dubois. Bidders will be inspired by an eclectic selection including wild novelty print designs for fashion, scarf designs, kitsch and outlandish curtain fabric designs and much more.
Catalogues/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk – catalogues due live a week before the auction
To find out more, or to arrange a free fashion/textiles valuation, please contact Virginia Ewart, Costume, Textiles & Accessories Consultant: [email protected]
Entries are invited for regular textile and costume sales at Hansons’ Staffordshire saleroom.
