Silver Studio

Silver Studio was one of the most influential textile design studios in the UK from its formation in 1880 until the middle of the twentieth century.

The studio, founded by Arthur Silver, designed some of the most famous fabric, wallpaper, carpet and metalwork designs for companies such as Liberty's, Turnbull and Stockdale, Sanderson and Warner and Sons Ltd, all of which used the Silver Studio's designs for their own ranges of wallpapers and textile.

At its most productive, the studio created more than 800 designs per year. The studio was renowned for its distinctive Art Nouveau style, although over the years they produced a wide variety of different designs and styles, including many of the famous "Liberty"-styles. During the Second World War, the Studio undertook many designs for U.S. clients as a useful way to gain foreign exchange.

The Silver Studio was founded by Arthur Silver in 1880. It became one of the most influential textile and wallpaper design studios in the UK between 1880 and the middle of the twentieth century. In 1901 Silver's son Reginald (Rex) Silver took over the studio and ran it until 1962. For its final year of operation, 1963, Rex's studio was run by Frank Price, a designer of importance. He had worked twice at Silver Studios, firstly, for a period before the Second World War 1922 to 1935, leaving to a partnership with G.R. Kingbourne. Later he became chief designer at Sandersons. This job ended during the War, when Sandersons were bombed out in 1940 at which point he rejoined Silver Studios, 1941. From 1953 to 1963, Frank Price was the only working designer. Rex continued to manage the business. In 1961-2, Rex offered the studio to Frank Price, who was also in his late seventies with deteriorating health. Price completed some projects and finally locked the door. Subsequently, Mary Peerless (Rex Silver's step-daughter) took back the studio, under the terms of the agreement between Silver and Price, and gifted the contents.

The Silver Studio sold designs for fabrics and wallpapers to a number of manufacturers. Its customers were retailers and manufacturers of wallpapers and textiles at all levels of the market, both in Britain and abroad. Designs for wallpapers were sold both to manufacturers producing cheap papers for the mass market such as Lightbown Aspinall and Potters of Darwen, as well as those selling high quality products for the top end of the market such as Essex & Co, John Line and Sandersons. Leading British textile manufacturers included Stead McAlpin, Alexander Morton and AH Lee, Turnbull & Stockdale and Liberty, to name just a few.

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