Rare cabinet of Scarlet Ibis by Edward Gerrard & Sons

There are two labels that tell the story of the creation of this rare cabinet of three Scarlet Ibis made by Edward Gerrard Senior.

It has an original paper label on the back which states “Edward Gerrard. Naturalist. 61 College Place, Camden Town, London N.W.”

It has the earliest recorded small, round ivorine label inside which also bears the address of 61 College Place. It’s interesting to note that the ivorine label is reminiscent of those used on early pieces at Rowland Ward.

We can define a date of between 1885-1897 for this cabinet fairly precisely, and we can also determine that the maker was Edward Gerrard Senior.

Let’s take a look at the history of the timeline of the Gerrard firm

In 1861 the census shows that Edward Gerrard Senior and his family, including his son, lived at 31 College Place while he was still an attendant at the British Museum.

Father and son worked harmoniously together, and the marriage of Edward Gerrard Jnr provoked the need for a separate residence nearby at Cantlowes Road.

Edward Gerrard Senior moved out of number 31 College Place to number 61 College Place sometime between the two census dates of 1882 – 1891.  Since the labels on the Ibis cabinet reflect number 61, and since we know the cabinet was prepared around the time of the world expo in Brussels we can attach a date of 1897 to it.

The labels also simply state the name of Edward Gerrard, so we surmise that the cabinet was a creation of Edward Gerrard Senior.

In 1901 on the census we see Edward Gerrard Jnr still living in his separate residence with his wife and children at Cantlowes road.  Gerrard Senior is still recorded at 61 College Place.

In 1910 Edward Gerrard Snr dies and in 1911 Edward Gerrard Junior is recorded as being a widower, living alone with a servant at his father’s ex residence at 61 College Place. Both 31 College Place and the workshop at 54A Queen St. have now been let go.

In 1914 we see evidence that Edward Gerrard Jnr has given a boost to the company he has inherited by creating “The Natural History Studios” at 61 College Place which formed a series of 9 studios located directly behind 61 College Place. They were leased from and owned by the nearby Wesylan Chapel, and they had previously been occupied by artists and sculptors.

It was from these studios that the enduring images and photographs of the work of the firm of Edward Gerrard & Son are taken.  These workshops and studios were to later become the scene of a famous film “The Man Who Knew Too Much” – more about that later!

The Ivorine Label

The information on the round disc inside the case reflects that on the paper label, except the postcode is missing, possibly because it didn’t fit, or it cost more to add the postcode.

This ivorine disc is rarely seen and was most likely reserved for the firm’s best pieces. This ivorine disc example appears in the book by P.A. Morris “Gerrards – a Taxidermy Memoir” without a specific date, except the description is “only on very early pieces”.

After making an appointment, I went along to the ZSL Library to study the archives to see if I could find out more about the origin of the three Ibis in the cabinet.

There I saw Mr Edward Gerrard mentioned many times in the records of the “Death Books” which catalogued all deaths of zoo animals.

Mr Gerrard is seen as the recipient of many species from the Zoo (including the famous Quagga) over a long period, and right up to 1890.

Thinking about the source of the Ibis, what really caught my interest were the records of Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus Rubra) that Gerrard had continually acquired from the Zoo over a long period.

Mr Edward Gerrard Senior continued his close relationship with the ZSL long after he had left their employment in 1841 and in addition to the connections that the Gerrards had with collectors and explorers, the ZSL was a continual source of specimens for the Gerrard’s business, not least because of the proximity of the ZSL to Gerrard workshops, both at 54A Queen Street and at his residence at College Place.

There is much evidence of Gerrard’s connections with explorers and his network with zoologists and university and museum authorities. So, these Ibis could have been taken from the Zoo, or more likely, they could have been obtained via an explorer or collector who had brought them back from an expedition and sold them to Gerrard; their bright colour suggests that they had not been kept in captivity for very long because the bright feather colour is derived from a natural food source which cannot be made available in a zoo.

The cabinet is a rare survivor, it’s in very good condition and it’s a real statement piece.