Streetware

New York A Go Go

2007-03-30T00:19:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

Just to let you know that Streetware, as well as a new company of mine, Iron Inspired, will be exhibiting at this years International Contemporary Furniture Fair, part of the Big apples design week.
It is a great honour to be showing my works alongside some of the best in new british designers, as we are all going as a group and representing a cream slice of english creativity.
So if you are in Manhattan around the dates of 19th-22nd May 2007...
Another thing, you may ask why don't you update your blog more often? Good question, I may add, I guess I'm very shy and would bore you all to tears with my daily rantings and thats the truthiness for you!
Soon, I will be revamping my website as well introducing new designs from another country and other new stuff to come. So its all happening!

So yow come back now, yow hear!!

Jason

Streetware Survey + Mailing List

2007-01-08T04:20:00.000-08:00

Streetware has a new survey page on the site, there is also an area where you can write your views, suggestions, and an option to be put on the Mailing list.

Your feedback on how we can enhance the website, what you think of the work, how you would like it to be viewed, also what your favourite designs are. Your reasons for buying or not buying etc.
This info will enable us to help you, get a better Streetware experience.

So, don't be shy give Streetware a try!

You can find all of this on the Streetware contact page.

Many Thanks

Jason

Hosting Issues

2006-12-29T10:41:00.000-08:00

Unfortunatly the site was down again over the Christmas period, this was due to my hosting company whose server was out of operation. I'm now looking around for a better hosting company, so if you know of any who provide an improved customer service, equaled with reliability, please let me know.

Thank you for your patience, and once gain Best wishes for 2007!

Happy Christmas & A Great New Year!

2006-12-22T01:38:00.000-08:00

To all our clients, visitors to the spring show, and the many from all around the planet who go to the Streetware Site. Look out for some really fantastic and amazing works in 2007.

Best Wishes

Jason, and of course, Edward the Dog!

Site Down, now UP

2006-12-20T01:33:00.000-08:00

Apologies if you have been trying to access Streetware over the past few days. There appeared to be some problems with our hosting setup. This has now been remedied. Thank you for your patience.

New Views

2006-11-28T22:55:00.000-08:00

Just to let you know, I have introduced a new Views page which shows you the canvases against a a sofa, this should give some idea of context and size. Other pictures will be added over time. The gorgous sofa was made by Charles Wilson an australian designer, the graceful curves are inspired by the grinding of stone.

Other changes soon include a revamped contact and survey page.

Kind Regards

Jason

Breathing and doing

2006-11-10T04:03:00.000-08:00

Just in case you were wondering if i'm still alive. I would like to post that i am ok , and currently back from some travels, whilst trying to recover from a cold. So things have been busy of late.
I will making a few changes on the site within the next few weeks, and no doubt you will enjoy.
Until then, take care, and i'll be back soon.

By the way, thanks for all your recent purchases, and that you are enjoying the works in your homes, or wherever you have decided to place them..

Jason

Aquacomb & Prykestar

2006-10-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

A couple of notes on the new artwork.

Pryke and Palmer were based in Brooks Wharf, 48 Upper Thames Street, London, from the 1860s until the early 20th Century.
Not much is known about the company at this stage, but they were involved in supplying all kinds of materials for the Victorian builder, from ceramic wall tiles to fireplaces, and even wallpaper.
The other, Aquacomb is a mystery, I have only seen two examples in the Brighton area. The design is very unusual in simplicty whilst being quite complex, if that makes sense.
These designs are available in a limited edition of 33 in each size.
The need for limited editions will enable the updating of the Streetware site, whilst keeping the portfolio of artworks on the site to a certain quantity.
All handmade Streetware art is printed on the finest grade canvas, stretched on our unique frames, then individually marked and numbered.

Old dog with new tricks

2006-10-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Edward and I, recently featured in the Southwark News.

HOT1 & BOB

2006-09-06T03:37:00.000-07:00

Just a few notes on the new artwork.

The fire hydrant otherwise known as the Hot1 is quite familar in my parts, it dates from the 1930's and looks very Art Deco with simple clear lines and minimal fuss, my guess it was made by the Dover Engineering Works, and looks familar in style to their gas cover.

The Bobby Dazzler ie BOB, coal plate*, was made by RH & J Pearson, circa 1870s, RH otherwise then known as Robert Henry Pearson was quite a big retail and wholesale ironmonger in his day, employing over 200 people at the time of him leaving this mortial coil in 1893.
Robert H Pearson was a former churchwarden at St Mary Abbots Church in Kensington, a church where SirIssac Newton used to frequent, although not in the same century!
Mr Pearson also did a lot work for local Charities, but as those comic DJs Smashy and Nicey used to say.. we don't like to talk about that!
I am hoping one day to find more of Pearson's spectacular coal plate designs, and naturally when I do, you'll be the first to know!

*Coal Plate, was the term used in the ironmongery trade for a coal chute cover, or coal hole cover. In America you call them coal lids.

Edwards Home - Before & Afters

2006-08-18T01:47:00.000-07:00

Pictures - Bottom 1920s top 1815; August 2006

I was in London the other day on a soon to be revealed project... and I couldn't resist going back to the place where Edward the dog used to live, outside that shop in 196 Blackfrairs Road.
After the war, the shop site was replaced with the Rowland Hill block of flats, they were named after the founder of the large round Surrey Chapel, once opposite.
After nearly 100 years of preaching to local sinners, the chapel became a boxing ring among other things, this was also destroyed during WW2.
In its place they are currently finishing off the Palestra by architect Will Alsop, www.palestra-london.com, and soon to be the new HQ for the London Development Agency who are responsible for the 2012 Olympics, www.lda.gov.uk

I love looking at those books where they show you now and then photographs of places, so here goes my contribution.

By the way, thanks for everyone writing to tell me that they love the new name change to Streetware.

New artwork coming soon.

Cheers

Jason

Welcome to Streetware!

2006-08-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings!

Welcome to the new name for manholes.

New name but with the same mission, which is to bring you the best in the worlds manhole covers on canvas and T-shirts.
Why change of name? I felt that manholes was a bit vague and didn't reflect what I do. I hope you like the new ID.
The logo represents a keyhole which is used to lift the manhole cover, and thus a key to discovery and enjoyment which I'm sure you will have with my work.
The font is a stronger text sometimes used on street signs, and the type of yellow, well thats just a great colour!
Apologies if you have been trying to access the site over the last few days, there was a problem with the changeover of name on the website hosting.
The new streetware site will have even more regular updates and more exciting things to come.

So lets enjoy the Streetware journey!

Jason@streetware.org

Changes are a comin!

2006-08-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

Next week I will bring changes to the name of this website and a change of name from manholes.
After much deliberations I have decided on STREETWARE for the new ID, I think it reflects more of what I do and make, manholes.org will change to streetware.org.

I actively encourage feedback on the website site, and I hope that people will tell me how I can improve by making the site even better, so don't be shy give the Streetware guy a try!

Stay tooned.

Best Wishes

Jason@streetware.org

A Celebration of British Manhole Covers

2006-08-05T10:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the last day of the show.(Taken from old Manholes Blog 27/06/06)

It was a great experience, and getting there was a big learning curve too, but i'm really pleased I made it and equally pleased that many people came in to see it, and left great comments in the visitors book, and left with the knowledge that they will never look at a manhole cover the same way again. A big thanks also to those who left some money behind, and left with a unique manhole T-shirt and the many who came back and left with more!, and some, you know who you are! with my manhole cover art.

I hope to do another show in London and other cities if they will take me, but its early days yet, but I thought I would share with you a few of what some vistors had wrote in the book -

Enchanting - Art and history combined - N&A Burrell

Tremendous! So good to see the colour and imagination and enthusiasm for something that most of us pass by without looking at!- J.Newman

Fabulous! - D.Allen

Brilliant! - D.Shaw

I love it! - S.Nicholson

Manhole art. Awesome s**t! - D. Mandelbaum

Whoa! - K.Mckenzie

Really liked your use of colour. Very effective visually, Liked it all + nice to meet you too- L.Aspell

Very interesting and great art work. Funky!!! - F.Was

Really neat concept and work - Inspirational! - J.Leith

A fascinating subject, used brilliantly. I will be looking down a looking down more when walking the streets from now on. - R.Mitchell

Excellent! - P.Littland(Retired ironmonger)

Wonderful! And a Captain Beefheart Fan! - K.Richardson

Fantastic- Colourful& unusual, beauty in the everday, Ta- Hugh

Awesome original Work! - L.Griffith

Well Cool.. - A.Warnquist

Great idea, manhole covers represent the unseen side of our cities. Superb! - D.Sumer

Best Designs of artwork i've seen in a while- Lovely!- R.Mayston

The mundane to the memorable. Well done! - S.Si

These are just a few from the book, but everybody left positive vibes and i'm pleased you could make it, if you didn't then hopefully another time, however you can always have your own gallery in your own home!

A big thankyou to the Landlord of the shop, and my best wishes to him.
Now..thanking a landlord doesn't happen often in this world does it!

Cheers

Jason