This site celebrates the life and work of sculptor John
Cassidy (1860 - 1939).
22 January 2010: New feature - Clayton-le-Moors War Memorial
1 January 2010 was the 150th anniversary of John Cassidy's birth. A new page - John Cassidy's Early Life - has been added to commemorate this.
5 January 2010: a new expanded version of our page on the Edward Colston statue, Bristol.
16 December 2009:
Plaque installed on 'Adrift'
6 December 2009:
Sculptures damaged in Manchester and
Rochdale
The
Glorious Dead: new book on war memorial sculpture
13 July 2009:
John Cassidy's Last Days, July 1939
Our visit to Cassidy's grave - see the news page.
Visits in 2009: 5769
John Cassidy, by Reginald Barber (1900). Courtesy of Manchester Art Gallery
This site developed from Charlie's interest in the John Rylands Library, Manchester, and its statues. He created a small online exhibition there about John Cassidy, which led to contacts with Cassidy admirers in Scotland and Ireland, and in turn to the creation of this larger tribute. We are not professional historians; if you find inaccuracies here, please let us know.
'Of all the sculptors mentioned
[in this book], John Cassidy is the most intriguing. A biography would
focus directly on the little-researched world of the provincial
sculptor. Given the range of his output - from statues and busts to war
memorials and architectural sculpture - it would appear that
versatility was one of the attributes needed by sculptors outside
London if they were to survive.' - Derek Brumhead and Terry Wyke. A walk round Manchester sculptures.
Walkround Books, 1990.
As you browse the features, you will find that we sometimes follow trains of thought and journeys inspired by Cassidy's work and the people he portrayed, as well as offering what biographical information we can discover, and illustrating and describing as many of his works as we can locate. We hope you find something of interest.
Special thanks to everyone who has helped with research and shown interest, especially Doug Cassidy, John Canner, John Doyle, Frances Lee Gargan, and Elizabeth Gow.
(Then again, if you are looking for his modern namesake John
Cassidy, magician and balloon sculptor, you want www.johncassidy.com)