How to date the cases of E.F. Spicer of Birmingham
E.F. Spicer Birmingham
Great Colmore Street
61 Suffolk Street
58 Suffolk Street
Following on from the previous post about E.F. Spicer of Birmingham
Dating Victorian Taxidermy Cases
How to date the cases of E.F. Spicer Birmingham
1873/4 – 1880/1
Any case of E.F. Spicer Birmingham which shows a label at Great Colmore Street (I haven’t seen one) would denote a maker’s date of between 1873/4 – 1880/1 approx.
1880/1- 1892
I’d say that any label of E.F. Spicer Birmingham which shows 61 Suffolk Street could be dated anywhere between 1880/1- 1892.
1892 – 1960
Any case of E.F. Spicer Birmingham with the address label of 58 Suffolk Street indicates a maker’s date of between 1892 – 1960. The Victorian Taxidermy Case period ended officially upon the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.
E.F. Spicer Birmingham died in 1927 so its likely that the maker on a case from this period up to the 1920s is more likely to have been made by one of his sons.
My evidence for dating the Victorian Taxidermy Cases of E.F. Spicer Birmingham
Dating E.F. Spicer Birmingham Victorian Taxidermy Cases
In 1871 the census lists EF Spicer as still living in Leamington Spa and has having employment in Leamington Spa.
In 1873 Edward Spicer married Catherine Ward in Aston, Warwickshire.
In 1881 Edward Spicer is listed on the census as still living at Great Colmore Street,
E.F. Spicer’s advert in a local newspaper in 1890 shows him at 61 Suffolk Street. He is working “under Royal Patronage” and claims to model in “the most artistic style” and says that private and public collections are attended to. Emu and Ostrich eggs are also advertised, and he states that he has been awarded four medals for superior workmanship.
The census in 1891 supports that he is living and working from 61, Suffolk Street
From about 1892 and up to about 1960 the business moved and was trading from number 58 Suffolk Street on the corner with Navigation Street.
Suffolk Street was the home for taxidermists it seems, since both Montagu Brown and Saville and Franklin had shops at numbers 31, 58, 61 Suffolk Street.
E.F. Spicer’s sons, Edward Montague born in 1884, and Albert Victor born in 1887 followed their father into the trade of taxidermy at the shop at 58 Suffolk Street from about 1900-1905. I wonder if the name of his son, Edward Montague, was influenced at all by the Montague Brown that E.F. Spicer must have known fairly well up to about 1878 when he vacated his shop at 61 Suffolk St – the same shop that E.F. Spicer took over in about 1900.
Montagu Brown published “Practical Taxidermy” in 1878 (later two further editions were published) and he became the Curator of the Leicester Museum in 1881, in charge of the museum’s Natural History displays. You can view/download a copy which is copyright free here from The Velvet Drawing Room site
Edward and Albert ultimately took over the running of the business from their father from about 1920 onwards. E.F. Spicer died in 1927. Albert Victor died in 1954, and Edward Montague died in 1964.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE INFORMATION FROM THE FAMILY TREE OF E.F. SPICER PLEASE CONTACT ME
A beautiful antique case of African Birds by E.F. Spicer Birmingham.
Dated approx 1900-1910
This is a nice example of the work of E.F. Spicer Birmingham at the turn of the last century. Although the Victorian Taxidermy Cases have a maker’s period of about 1866-1901 this case is later, it’s Edwardian, and its history and provenance are very interesting.
It contains: Giant Kingfisher, Standard-winged nightjar, two Blue-cheeked Bee eaters, White-throated Bee eater, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Shining-blue Kingfisher, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Striped Kingfisher, European Golden Oriole, together with a collection of approximately nineteen various Sunbirds including three splendid sunbirds. In addition, it has two Olive sunbirds, Olive-bellied sunbird, Collard sunbird, and a Copper sunbird. The large period ebonised three-glass display case measures 73 cm by 22.5cm by95cm and is in very good original condition.
This case is in my own collection, obtained at auction at Tennants in 2023. I love it, it’s gorgeous and this is the one and only reason for buying it. However, the story behind it is also lovely. It had been kept within a family whose ancestors had a history with Africa. The case remained in the family for over 100 years before it was sold. These birds are native to Africa, and are found mostly around Kenya and Tanzania.
It is known that they were brought back from an ancestor’s travels after 1900 so this case is Edwardian, rather than Victorian, and the birds were subsequently cased by a taxidermist in the UK Midlands area where the family lived.
Although it bears no label, the attribution to E.F. Spicer Birmingham was made using knowledge and experience of The Head of Taxidermy and Natural History, Mr Robbie Bright at Tennants
Robbie says
“after studying numerous cases by E.F. Spicer I noticed he never religiously stuck to one style of case, some were in unpainted oak, some were fully ebonised with varying construction habits, I feel possibly it would have been at the customers discretion and depth of pocket as to what case they wanted”.
“Also taking into account the graduated paint schemes used in his cases…there were few if any taxidermists who would have the opportunity to mount such a varied collection of birds, especially if you’d travelled the world and collected such beautiful and interesting specimens, you’d most likely source a reputable and well-known taxidermist to mount such specimens”
Cases by E.F. Spicer Birmingham
About The Curator
Dorne Lovegrove is a curator, researcher, and digital publisher specialising in the heritage of Victorian taxidermy.
Her work sits at the intersection of natural history, Victorian culture, and the richly textured interiors of the 19th century.
Through narrative scholarship, Dorne brings forgotten and unknown stories to light and invites readers into a world where history, artistry, and quiet drama converge.
