Charles Brooking would like to thank the many people who have kindly volunteered to assist with cataloguing at The Charles Brooking Teaching Gallery in Cranleigh. He has not been in touch as yet with anyone regarding a start date as he has been actively involved in arranging for material not required at Cranleigh to be relocated to the new museum building in Whitchurch, Hampshire (’The Brooking’). This will enable the creation of new exhibition spaces at Cranleigh featuring the work of local ‘Arts & Crafts’ architects of the late 19th century, when Surrey became a world-leader in the revived vernacular building style owing to the works of Sir Edwin Lutyens, Charles Annesley Voysey, and others. Charles has also been involved in cataloguing over 400 historic doors in ’The Brooking’ Museum at Whitchurch. email:
Marianne Suhr, the former T.V. ‘Restoration’ series co-presenter in the early 2000’s, and her son, Max, have made a film charting the life and work of Charles and the museum which will soon be available for conservation groups, professionals involved in the care and repair of historic buildings, and other interested parties. The completion of the film will be in September, where the new museum at Whitchurch, not yet open to the public, will be featured.
The Charles Brooking Teaching Gallery is open by appointment and is regularly consulted by leading conservation experts and property owners undertaking research prior to restoration projects, and is a popular venue with local history societies.
Some important donations have been made to the museum this summer, including hand-carved 17th century oak brackets from buildings demolished in the 1930’s in Guildford High Street, kindly donated by the Guildford Museum store following the recent de-acquisition programme, and late Georgian sash windows with hand-blown crown glass from the former David Mann’s store in Cranleigh High Street, kindly donated by the developers, Cranfold Developments.
Charles also recently purchased a rare late 17th century brass sectional mortice door-knob at the Antiques & Decorative Home Fair held at the Loseley Estate in July, and a fine late Georgian brass wreath door-knocker dating from the 1820’s, known as the ‘Wellington’ design, from another fair.
Charles Brooking
Architectural Historian & Consultant
Tel: 01483 274 203
www.cbah.uk
