Artwork unveiling brings history to life
A piece of artwork commissioned to commemorate the former site of an old laundry has been unveiled to the public at an official ceremony in Filton.
Artist Rodney Harris has created a row of white, glazed brick washing machines on the side wall of the Snow and Rock retail store which has since been built at the former laundry site.
South Gloucestershire Council commissioned the artwork which was officially unveiled on Wednesday 23 April by Cllr Brian Freeguard, Vice Chairman of South Gloucestershire Council. A ceremony was held at Filton Library in the Shield Retail Centre at 11am.
Rodney had help with his design from school children at Shield Road Primary School, who contributed ideas during workshop sessions lead by the artist.
Using information and images about the site, supplied by Filton History Group, pupils updated the images of the old fashioned laundry where washing was carried out by hand with their own ideas of how washing is done today.
Mr Harris said: "The work is intended to be a contemporary interpretation through public art of the memory of the laundry which once stood on the site, and was inspired by working with the children of Shield Road Primary School."
The Filton laundry was also known as the Shield laundry because of its namesake, Samuel Shield, who opened the business with his wife Mary in 1869. Back then they used water from a nearby well to wash the clothes.
Mrs Audrey Tanner is the granddaughter of Herbert Shield, Samuel and Mary’s son, who was a director of the laundry.
Audrey said: “It's a delightful and interesting way to remember the laundry and my family which played such an important part in the history of Filton.”
The laundry eventually changed premises in the 1920s, but it remained a landmark building (see attached picture) which was eventually knocked down in the 1990s and now houses the Shield Centre, just off the A38.
The council’s arts development team worked with Eagle One who developed the Shield Centre to encourage developers to celebrate the local distinctiveness of the district and enhance the visual environment for residents and visitors alike.