Records by Edward Godwin (1833-1886), architect and antiquary, of the Chelsea home of the painter James Whistler, 1877

The manuscript volume, a small notebook written in a single hand, is dated October 1877. It contains a bill of quantities for the construction of a house in Tite Street, Chelsea, south-west London for James Whistler. The volume is divided into the following fifteen sections: preliminary provisions, excavator and drains, bricklayer, mason, slater, carpenter, joiner, plasterer, founder and smith, gasfitter, plumber and lineworker, glazier, painter, and addenda. Within each section, the work required to be done by each specialist is outlined including quantities of material required.

Edward William Godwin was born in Bristol in 1833. He received architectural training and began his career designing schools, churches and houses in and near Bristol. His best known works include The Guildhall, Northampton and Town Hall, Congleton as well as the restoration of Dromore Castle and Castle Ashby. After moving to London in about 1862, he designed premises for the Fine Art Society in Bond Street and a studio for Princess Louise at Kensington Palace. As an architect, Godwin worked chiefly in the Gothic style. As an antiquary, he had a particular interest in costume, furniture and architecture. Much of his later career was spent designing theatrical costumes and scenery. He was a frequent contributor to British Architect and published a number of books on architecture, dress and theatre. He died in 1886.

The painter James Whistler (1834-1903) commissioned Godwin to build him a house in Chelsea in 1877. Godwin completed the 'White House' in Tite Street in 1878 and Whistler moved there from a house in Cheyne Row. Whistler's bankruptcy in 1879 forced the sale of the house along with the rest of the painter's effects. The buyer of the house, an art critic, made alterations that Whistler and Godwin deplored. In 1881, Whistler moved into a different house in Tite Street, number 13, where he lived until 1885. Whistler and Godwin shared an interest in Chinese and Japanese art and collaborated in a number of projects involving furniture and interior design, including the design of the White House. Whistler married Godwin's widow, Beatrix, in 1888. The White House was demolished in the 1960s.

No archival arrangement has been necessary.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

LANGUAGE: English

This description is the only finding aid available for the collection. Copyright in the description belongs to The University of Nottingham.

• Royal Institute of British Architects: British Architectural Library: Papers of Edward Godwin, 1845-1883). Reference: GoE
• Victoria and Albert Museum: Archive of Art and Design: Correspondence, papers, diaries, and ledgers of Edward Godwin, c.1855-1886. The Museum's Department of Design, Prints and Drawings contains drawings and sketchbooks of Godwin. Reference: AAD 4-1980, AAD 4-1988
• Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire: Architectural papers of Edward Godwin relating to Compton Wynyates, c. 1859-1877.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Permission to make published use of the volume must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk). The Department will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but this can be difficult and the responsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the person wishing to publish.

The volume was given to The University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts in February 1962.

• Archive collections containing manuscripts relating to James Whistler are recorded on the National Register of Archives.