Price range: £950

A rare Birmingham Guild silver ceremonial key, with hallmarks for Birmingham 1937.

The key is engraved with the name of the St Pancras Town Hall (now Camden), together with the opening date, as follows:

St Pancras Town Hall: This important building, now Camden Town Hall, remains standing on Judd Street, opposite St Pancras station.  The key finial carries the St Pancras coat of arms. The escallop shells and the elephants’ heads come respectively from the arms of the Duke of Bedford and the Marquess of Camden. The crossed swords are from the arms of the Dean and Chapter of London. The crest shows a figure of St. Pancras holding a book and a palm. The key is hallmarked for Birmingham 1936 and engraved with the opening date of 1st July 1937.

The architect for the Town Hall was Albert John Thomas (1876-1964 (see images, shown at the foundation stone ceremony of St Pancras Town Hall).  He was a highly regarded architect most noted for spending much of his career as the senior assistant architect for the mighty Sir Edwin Lutyens (1902-32).  Thomas must have got to know the Birmingham Guild when working for Lutyens who gave the Guild a number of important commissions.  The Guild made the “staircase ballustrades, railings and bronze doors” [original published list of contractors] for St Pancras Town Hall and would therefore have been a natural choice to design and make the ceremonial keys.

This is the second key for St Pancras Town Hall that I have had in the Collection.  I believe keys would have been made for a number of the attending dignitaries at the opening ceremony – so perhaps around six in total.

The designer of the key is not known but stylistically would point to Llewelyn Roberts, the Birmingham Guild’s lead designer for most of the inter war period, most famed for his design of the Selfridge’s lift interiors.

Tony Peart has recently published in the Decorative Art Society Journal volume 44, an article on the history of the Birmingham Guild.  By the late 1930’s the Guild was a fairly commercial outfit focussed on architectural metalwork, and by September 1939 was already gearing up for the war effort. Silver by the Guild from this period seems to be incredibly rare.

Condition of the key is excellent, as is the gauge.  It is in its original leather box

Maker: Birmingham Guild [of Handicraft] Ltd

Designer: Llewelyn Roberts (attributed)

Date: 1937

Marks: B.G. Ltd, Birmingham, date letter M.

Material: Sterling silver

Condition: Excellent

Size: 15.0 cm long

Weight:  3.0 oz , 85 grams