We are delighted to announce that Aston University has officially unveiled an exhibition of mounted cast bronze panels and an original bronze door which once graced the university main entrance.
The architectural features were manufactured by H H Martyn Ltd in 1955. As part of the university’s architectural expansion and modernisation, the doors were absorbed into a new atrium design which now forms the main university reception lobby. During this architectural expansion the main entrance was altered to provide increased access. One sliding door was retained in-situ, and the 3 remaining doors were reworked to provide 12 individual decorative bronze panels. The reasoning behind these interventions are unknown but the 12 panels were mounted and displayed at new locations within the grounds of the university and within the city of Birmingham.
After many years the panels were returned to the university for safe keeping and have now been conserved and displayed.
The 4 doors consisted of highly stylised cast relief panels depicting 8 themes of technical learning and study.
- Mechanical Engineering
- Civil Engineering/Surveying
- Chemical Engineering
- Automotive Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Carpentry & Joinery
- Mining & Ore Extraction
- Built Environment & Construction
Ian Clark Restoration was commissioned to undertake the conservation of the bronze work and ready the collection for mounting and exhibition. The 12 panels are displayed on an internal wall adjacent to their original location. The exhibition and display of these features unashamedly celebrates an age when art and industry coexisted in a society where each was respected for their socio-economic influence and cultural value. The exhibition showcases human endeavour in the art of the making, learning and ingenuity and provides a powerful message which is today perhaps, misunderstood.
Archive images copyright Aston University
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