Stalingrad book, from Sheffield.

[hillsbro 30]

Very, very interesting to see the photos. In the (perhaps unlikely!) event that anyone is interested in the Russian inscription, I think I can read it all:

 

ГРАЖДАНАМ СТАЛИНГРАДА / ОТ ШЕФФИЛЬДА ГОРОДA СТАЛИ / ВЕЛИКОБРИТAНИИ · ДЕКАБРЬ, 1941

 

A strict translation isn't (quite) the same as the English inscription on the box, but of course the meaning is the same. The above translates literally as "To the citizens of Stalingrad / from Sheffield the city of steel / of Great Britain · December 1941".

 

I looked up the talented designer, Joyce Rosemary Himsworth - there is an interesting piece about her here (scroll down to the fourth page) that mentions the casket and a shorter piece here. The Himsworths lived on Chelsea Road, Brincliffe.

Edited December 17, 2010 by hillsbro

[Kidorry 189]

There is a small amount of her history here.Joyce Rosemary Himsworth (1905–90)

Joyce Rosemary Himsworth was born in Sheffield [fig 8]. From an

early age she worked with her father making small spoons and

items of jewellery. She went on to study at Sheffield School of Art

and became a member of the Sheffield Artcrafts Guild in 1925.

Himsworth also taught at art colleges in Rotherham and

Chesterfield.9

Joyce and her father registered a joint mark at Sheffield Assay

Office in 1925, and she used this mark on work she produced as an

independent designer silversmith, working mostly to commission

in her own studio [fig 9]. Around 1935 she studied under H.G.

Murphy at the Central School of Arts, London, and registered the

mark JRH at both the London and Sheffield assay offices. After a

successful career which included commissions for a pair of lily

vases and two chalices for Westminster Cathedral, she retired in the

1960s. A retrospective exhibition of her work was held in 1978.10

Himsworth’s stylistic influences were far reaching and included

Egyptian and Celtic design. A trip with her father in 1934 to the

Soviet Union, to view the decorative art collections held at the

Hermitage Museum and Kremlin, appears to have had a lasting

impression on her. She became a member of the British-Soviet

Friendship Society and the British Peace Committee. In 1943, in

response to the German invasion of Stalingrad, she was part of a

group of makers involved in the creation of ‘a stainless steel enamelled casket containing the signatures of Sheffield women on parchment sent to the women of Stalingrad commending their courage and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds.

[Kidorry 189]

My wife had a reply from the Stalingrad war museum and they sent a photo of the open book with a promise of some more photos later.I will try to post them on here.

 

---------- Post added 28-11-2015 at 16:31 ----------

 

Got some more photos from Stalingrad and the first 2 name in the books are,Leslie,Lord Bishop of Sheffield & Hilda Ward Mistress Cutler of Sheffield.Later on next week I will try to post the 7 photos they sent. Another couple here.

Edited December 13, 2015 by Kidorry

[mhimsworth 10]

Hello

  I'm Michael Himsworth. Joyce was my Grandads brothers daughter I.e daughter of Joseph Beeston Himsworth who I used to visit as a child. I remember Joyce well and was invited to the exhibition at Sheffield City Museum on 8th. July 1978 when Joyce was honoured to be one of the few people to have such an exhibition in their lifetime. I still have the invitation and exhibition catalogue and a few small pieces of her work. My brother has an interesting spoon made by Joyce with the swastica design engraved on it. 

I was very interested to read about the Stalingrad presentation however I can't shed anymore detail about the presentation box. 

 

[Kidorry 189]

mhimsworth, I was very interested to read your input to this topic and could I have your permission to forward this information to the War museum in Volgagrad ( Stalingrad that was)? I am sure they would be very interested to know this.

[mhimsworth 10]

Yes you have my permission to send information to Stalingrad

[Kidorry 189]

Thank you very much.

[Shefflich 10]

The case which the Sword was presented in was made by my father's cousin as he was a cabinet maker at the British Museum in London.

[sadbrewer 20]

On 25/10/2020 at 14:31, Kidorry said:

mhimsworth, I was very interested to read your input to this topic and could I have your permission to forward this information to the War museum in Volgagrad ( Stalingrad that was)? I am sure they would be very interested to know this.

Apparently Joyce was an admirer of the Soviet Union after embarking on one of the tours provided by Stalin to certain westerners in the early 1930's.

 She wrote about her experiences in the press which were contested....this letter was published in 1934.