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Landing the Catch

Sculptor: Lamb, William, ARSA · 1893-1951Caster: Powderhall Bronze · b. 1989

Landing the Catch

The sculpture was originally modelled in plaster by Lamb and the plaster maquette passed to the care of Montrose Town Council (and after 1975 Angus…

The sculpture was originally modelled in plaster by Lamb and the plaster maquette passed to the care of Montrose Town Council (and after 1975 Angus Council) on the gifting of Lamb's studio and contents in 1951 following his death.

About 1973 in order to preserve Lamb's work a programme of casting these in bronze from the original plasters in the William Lamb Studio, Montrose, was commenced. The letter from Angus Council (1998-05-29) proposing that the RSA purchase the present cast indicates that it was one of 6 pieces scheduled to be cast "within the next few months" in the latest 3 year programme. According to the Dundee Evening Telegraph 1999-03-31 the casting of these works was being undertaken by Powderhall Bronze in Edinburgh. It refers to the RSA having indicated a wish to acquire the cast of Landing the catch "and the Council's William Lamb Studio Advisory Committee is, therefore, to consider whether or not to introduce a series of limited editions of Lamb's works. Powderhall Bronze in Edinburgh, who have undertaken many of the recent castings, have retained the mould for Landing the Catch and it is felt that the market could be tested by opening a subscription list. Powderhall have indicated that they could cast up to 10 bronze copies, requiring a selling price of about £700 per item. It is thought that if seven subscriptions were received it would be financially viable to proceed with the casting and any additional income could be used for further promotional material." An Angus Council Report (No 451/03) downloaded from Angus Council's website (https://archive.angus.gov.uk/ccmeetings/reports-committee/policyresources/2003/451.pdf), dated April 2003, references the agreement to the proposal of the William Lamb Studio Advisory Committee to produce limited editions of certain of Lamb's maquettes; including "Landing the Catch" in an edition of 10. It is not clear therefore whether the RSA cast was the second one made (Angus Council reserving the first for the William lamb Studio) of an edition of 10 in 1998-99 and that this report sanctions the casting of a further 10 in 2003, taking the total number of casts to 20. One of the legs of the fisherman standing at the back was broken in the original plaster and rather than seek to restore this to its original position, has been left recumbent and clearly visible in the bronze casting.