A letter from John Sealy (1749 - 1813) of the Coade Manufactory to the Rev. Dr Hornsby. Dated Wednesday Evening 8 March 97.

 

Since commencing this examination of the Coade Manufactory and it products I was made aware of the excellent work of Prof. Geoffrey Walford by Dr Geoffrey Tyack. 

I cannot claim any new insights into the rest of the sculpture on the Racliffe Observatory - Professor Walford does a much better job particularly with the discovery of the letter from John Sealy - 

the only original research I can claim is my work on the relationship of the small Roubiliac bronze Hercules and Atlas on the top of the Clay musical clock now in Kensington Palace and the large lead group on the roof of the Radcliffe Observatory Tower.

https://www.gtc.ox.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/new-research-on-radcliffe-observatory/

Prof. Walford has published two excellent in depth articles in the Georgian Group Journal.

The Radcliffe Observatory Oxford: New light on its building history Vol. XXXII p. 201.

Coade Stone and the Radcliffe Observatory; Oxford. A letter from the Coade Stone Manufactory Vol. XXXIV p.137.

Here I publish the letter from John Sealy to the Rev. Dr Hornsby Dated Wednesday Evening 8 March 97.

Thomas Hornsby FRS (1733 in Durham – 11 April 1810 in Oxford). He occupied the Savilian Chair of Astronomy at Oxford University from 1763. In 1782, he became Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy.

Hornsby was instrumental in the establishment of the Radcliffe Observatory at Oxford in 1772, and was made Radcliffe Observer in the same year. In 1782, he was appointed Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy. In 1783, he became Radcliffe Librarian. He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1788.

'Dear Slr,

Mr Wyatt being in the Country — I am prevented of

availing myself of his advice on the Subject of your

favour of the 6th inst — your approbation of the

Style in which workmanship of the Signs of the

Zodiac have been executed gives me pleasure but

it receives considerable Alloy from yr observations

which accompany it — But indulge me Sir with a few

Remarks on the Subject, and they must be but few as I

am scarce able through sickness to follow my thoughts

or to hold my pen for any length of time together

On looking back to my Instructions for modelling

these Signs I find myself referred to the Globe on

the Shoulders of Atlas in the farnese collection as

described in Spence's Polymetis - Now Sir will you

refer to this - Leo was taken from this - you find the

tail as I have modelled it- nor can I think it worth

altering especially as in Plate 25 No 3 you will also

see the tail turned along his back' [here is a small 

drawingshowing the tail turned along the top of the

lion's back].

In Spence's Polymetis - Now Sir will you refer to this -

Leo was taken from this - you will find the Tail as I have modelled

it - nor can I think it worth alteringespecially as in plate 25 no 3 you will also see the tail his back

(here I have inserted a blow up of the tiny sketch in the letter)

Virgo intwining this constellation withy her face to the earth

for which Spence in So 170 a warrent and was also done

with the approbation of Mr Wyatt -the wings unavoidably resume

a different appearance and I really think it almost gracefull one 

the horn is in the left hand on the globe above  ___ and in this

hand I have put it -

Taurus. On the Globe the Horns of the Bull are reprsented as you

may see very short - it is afrending? which gives it more spirit

we have made it more horizontal to suit the form of the panel

and likewise added a little to the body to fill up more - but I have

no objectionto my Mans forming the back into clouds- as I have shown

in the sketch above -  it was much admired by gentlemen for its effect

in expressing the character - I am sorry yo sho think otherwise -

Capricorn - the Head only of this sign being shown on the Globe the

trest being hid thro its resting on the Shoulders of Atlas - I believe 

Mr Rossi  the gentleman who modelled it took it for granted that a

whole Goat was intended - in this I confess myself to blame in not putting

him right as Spence has sevl instances of the contrary - but I think this

may be altered also - as I have likewise shown above - by cutting away

the hind legs - and sinking the ___? part of the ground

Excuse my enlarging now with utmost respect

I remain.......

Jn Sealy

................................

Here I have once again used the images from Green Templeton College, Oxford website -

 https://www.gtc.ox.ac.uk/about/history/radcliffe-observatory/zodiac-signs/

 

 

 

The Coade Capricorn.

 

The curious form of Capricornus, the goat with a fish-tail, derives from the myth in which the god Pan jumped into the water just as he was changing shape in an attempt to escape from the monster Typhon. While the half of him above the water assumed the shape of a goat, the lower half became a fish.

...............................

There are only eleven panels of the signs of the Zodiac in all, which fit the spaces in the facade of the  tower of Observatory and complies with ancient Greek thought of only 11 .

 These Coade Artificial Stone reliefs appear to have been used exclusively on the Radcliffe Observatory.