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Twining Models

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Twining Models of Northampton, England, was founded in 1920 by Ernest W. Twining. The firm had its origins in work Twining was doing as a sub-contractor to Bassett-Lowke's. It undertook, mostly for Bassett-Lowke's, (though never a formal part of that company), the manufacture of high quality glass-case models, which were often marketed under Bassett-Lowke's name. Twining sold out in 1940, and the firm was run until 1967 as Twining Models (E. H. Clifton) Ltd.. E. H. Clifton had been a director of Twining Models, having started working for Twining as a school-leaver before Twining Models was first established.

Throughout its forty-seven-year history, Twining Models established a reputation as one of the foremost British model makers. It specialised in architectural, industrial, and transport models. Before WW2 it made a number of models for the Queen Mary's Dolls' House, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and now at Windsor Castle, stained-glass work (on which Twining was an expert) and astronomical telescopes. After WW2 the firm made a number of planning models used in the re-development of bomb-damaged cities, also various kinds of power stations and industrial developments. The firm was never large, usually employing only a handful of craftsmen. In all some 400 models were made by the firm during its existence.

References

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  • Chapter 5 of Buck, Stan, E. W. Twining, Modelmaker, Artist & Engineer, Landmark Publishing, 2004 (ISBN 1-84306-143-0)