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| Arthur Hayball next to one of his carved pieces, 19th cent. (Picture Sheffield: y00538) |
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| Hayball family on the back steps of 50 (later 112) Hanover Street, 1852 (Picture Sheffield: y00523) |
Arthur Hayball was born in Tudor Street, Little Sheffield (now Thomas Street) in September 1822, the second son of Thomas and Mary Hayball. His father was a joiner and builder who helped construct a number of buildings including Banner Cross Hall and St Philip's Church. Arthur Hayball spent much time as a child in the joiner's shop. Following an accident he broke his leg and during his convalescence, his father gave him some pieces of waste wood to carve. From then on, much of his spare time was spent learning wood carving. At the age of 16 he left school and joined his father in the woodworking shop at 60 Rockingham Street.
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| The chemistry of the toning bath (HAYBALL/4/2/35) |
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| 'The Apparition - a trick photo' (HAYBALL/3/3) |
He started attending classes at the Sheffield School of
Design (later known as the School of Art).
He was so successful the School elected him a 'Free Student for
Life'. He remained connected to the
School until his death in 1887 and he was Master of the Wood Carving Class from
1875 to 1887, being succeeded by Frank Tory.
He entered a specimen of his own design in the Great Exhibition of 1851,
a cabinet of English walnut, 8 feet high and 4 feet wide for which he was
awarded first prize and a medal from the Exhibition Committee.
In 1845, Arthur married his cousin, Hannah Lenton of
London and they moved to 29 Clarence Street, opposite to where Godfrey Sykes
lived. By 1851 they had three daughters
(Edith, Miriam and Laura - a fourth daughter, Clara, was born in 1852); in order
to support his family he suggested to his father he might do better
independently. This caused father and
son to fall out and they were estranged for ten years. Two houses were designed and built in Hanover
Street and in the back garden a workshop was built. The upper level of the workshop was used for
photographic work in which he had become interested in c.1853, with the
intention of supplementing his income through portraiture work. Many of his early photographic endeavours
survive in the archives, from mammoth glass plate negatives to early printing
experiments. A small scrap of paper
survives recording the chemistry of a toning bath (chloride of gold, water,
chalk, chloride of lime etc.) while an early account book describes his regular
photographic purchases: collodion, photo sulphate, gutta percha, cyanide etc.
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| Clara Hayball on a velocipede at Arthur's wood carving works, Cavendish Street, 1875 (Picture Sheffield: y00516) |
In 1862 he moved to nos. 9-13 Cavendish Street built by
his father with whom he later became reconciled. Here his work focused on fine wood-carving
and he was helped by his daughters, especially Clara. As Stainton notes, ‘how greatly his genius was
appreciated may be estimated from commissions which he executed. For the Duke
of Norfolk he provided the fittings of Arundel Chapel, and also supplied many
reredos, stalls and altars in Spain and Ireland; Dr. Gatty entrusted him with
much restoration work in Ecclesfield Church, and for Mr. Henry Wilson he carved
the handsome screen in St. Silas’ Church.’ In fact he was able to put to good use his
photographic skills, ensuring all of his major works were recorded. Having
received an order, he would complete the piece in his workshop, photograph the
item when assembled and then when the work was sent off (in pieces) the
photograph would be used to reassemble the parts. As a result, a near complete record of his
work exists. These negatives are now very fragile and sadly the emulsion is
degrading on some plates; it is fortuitous that Mr C.H. Lea, a family friend, saw
fit to reprint the entire set in 1951-52 which, until this point, had been stored
by the family in the ‘old stable loft'. The photographs showcase the breadth and intricacy of
work undertaken by Hayball - he even appears in some of his own photographs
next to carved pieces.
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| Photograph of designer and painter, Godfrey Sykes, by Arthur Hayball, 19th cent. (HAYBALL/3/6) |
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| Cyanotype of Clara by Arthur Hayball (HAYBALL/3/2) |
Arthur Hayball died in 1887. His archive, and that of his family -
especially Clara, his youngest daughter (who married Sheffield artist, William
Keeling), provides fascinating detail about family life in Sheffield during the
late 19th and early 20th centuries. Arthur’s papers and photographs later passed
to Clara who was something of a collector; she kept all manner of family
papers, from her mother’s childhood embroidery dating back to c.1825 to
greetings cards and other ephemera sent to her during her lifetime. Indeed her
own archive of papers includes previously unseen watercolours by her husband
William Keeling (an exhibitor at the Royal Academy, London) including a small
painting of the Atlas Mountains placed in a prayer book which he gifted to his
wife in 1913. The collection numbers
over 450 items and a list can be browsed via our online catalogue: http://tinyurl.com/jmo8pun
Original items from the collection can be viewed at Sheffield City
Archives upon request (archives@sheffield.gov.uk)
Sources:
'Arthur Hayball - A Dreamer in Wood',
a short biography published by Arthur Beet in Transactions of the Hunter
Archaeological Society (vol.VII, part 5, 1956) (Sheffield Archives:
HAYBALL/6/6)
‘The Making of Sheffield 1865-1914’ by
J.H. Stainton (Publisher: E.Weston and Sons, Change Alley, Sheffield, 1924)
(Sheffield Local Studies Library: 942.74 S)
Images © Sheffield City Archives/Picture Sheffield
