English socialite, media star and businesswoman Tamara Beckwith is the contributing editor for ‘gift-library.com’, the on-line bespoke service providing select luxury gifts to discerning clients.

She chose w&p’s solid hallmarked sterling silver as one of her top picks for April ’09.

Given that new baby Violet must be keeping her busy we are flattered that she has taken the time out to recommend us.

Thanks Tamara!

A Mom in the U.S. was so impressed with her sister’s w&p baby hand and feet casts that she flew all the way over to London from Los Angeles just so she could have her own baby get the w&p treatment!

A week later … "Thank you so much. Please give Denise my best, and let her know that I really appreciate her patience and diligence to get the perfect moulds of L’s hands. She was absolutely wonderful and a true perfectionist! Hope to see her in Los Angeles soon!"
N.S.

She knows the trip was worth it because no one else does it like we do. It’s not the first time a customer has gone to such trouble to reach us as our work is fast getting known right around the globe.

NB Please note that we are also very happy to make special trips overseas to see our customers. Call or email to discuss your requirements.

Archaeologists at the Hohle Fels cave in Germany have recently turned up an intricatel carved sculpture which dates from around 35,000 years ago and which has affectionately been tagged “The Venus of Hohle Fel”. It is a representation of a woman’s torso, 6cm in height which was probably used as pendant and may have been a fertility symbol.

The “Venus of Wrightson & Platt” is a little larger at 25cms in height and is a perfectly reduced version of a life sized body, cast from a customer’s daughter and created in bronze. She is the product of ancient technique and ultra modern technology and is unique in the world today.

The ancient Venus has a beauty all her own and is no doubt imbued with long forgotten symbolism and archetypal meaning. Our Venus is beautiful to modern eyes but perhaps the are not so different in what they represent? '

I was trawling the internet the other day looking for something that would help me in a discussion about the nature of memory and I found a piece of writing that I had read many years ago (and indeed forgotten) when I was at art school. I thought that I might share it with you.

À la recherche du temps perdu (Remembrance of things past) by Marcel Proust

“And once again I had recognized the taste of the crumb of madeleine soaked in her decoction of lime-flowers which my aunt used to give me (although I did not yet know and must long postpone the discovery of why this memory made me so happy), immediately the old gray house upon the street, where her room was, rose up like the scenery of a theater …”

This famous extract from Proust’s opus refers to the awakening of his childhood memories of madeleines (a scallop shaped cake) and tea at his aunt Leonie’s every Sunday morning before mass.

He talks (far more eloquently than we could even begin to do) about long forgotten memory awakened by the taste of the little cakes. Our baby hand and feet sculptures act similarly as a magical touch stone made to evoke happy memories.

It is well worth reading the whole extract because it is such a stupendous piece of writing and you can find a translation here

Denise flies out to Dubai, UAE to cast the hands of his Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai. The casts were subsequently used to make a large bronze plaque commemorating the inauguration of the 26 lane Business Bay Crossing over Dubai creek.

Celebrity gardener Chris Beardshaw commissions w&p to make artwork for his medal winning garden at the world famous RHS Show.

w&p were asked if we could make ‘small’ versions of a piece of sculpture created for an 80th Birthday present. That got us thinking …

Several months later we came up with 10 miniature versions of a very special Grandfather’s lovely hands, to give to each of his grandchildren. Having worked that problem out it was a matter of time before we made our 1st miniature baby feet made in to cufflinks. A world first indeed!

Hiroe is one of our wonderful sculptors. She came for an interview with us 7 years ago and we immediately knew that she was the girl for us. Hiroe worked for a long time at Kyoto Science in Japan. They work alongside museums restoring and replicating ancient artefacts uncovered during archaeological digs all over Japan. Hiroe spent countless hours working on priceless objects such as ceramics and ancient swords, restoring them to their former glory.

Like all of our staff, Hiroe is still a practising artist and we wish her well for her show in Kyoto in September. The experience Hiroe brought with her along with her diligence, patience, flair and skill has contributed immeasurably to the success of W&P over the years and we love and appreciate her dearly.

On top of that, Hiroe is now a world record holder! On 20th June 2009, 851 Eukelele players including Hiroe, strummed the Beach Boys' classic, 'Sloop John B', breaking the previous world record for the number of Eukelele's playing at the same time!

She's not just a world beater, she's OUR world beater - well done Hiroe!

We are rather pleased that the Russian Airline Aeroflot have published a piece in their in-flight magazine about our “million dollar boy” portrait. He was a very special commission; beautiful, glamorous, flamboyant and made with the usual W&P care and precision.

Portraits can be cast in bronze and glass and then embellished with precious metals. We can incorporate other techniques such as enameling, gilding and gem setting. Bronze, glass and lost wax casting are ancient arts and we bring them right in to the 21st century by combining them with the very latest technologies.

w&p are appointed official life cast sculptors at the world famous hospital which is London's only private hospital dedicated to women and children. We have exclusive permission to provide baby hand and feet casting to patients during their stay. Because of the high profile nature of some clients at the Portland, we have a policy of absolute client confidentiality – so don’t ask!

See our display cabinets on the 1st and 3rd floors.

'A Girl' giant baby sculpture by Ron Mueck

A friend of our production manager, Stacey sent this picture of Ron Mueck's amazing giant baby via email the other day, with the legend "Can you cast me a pair of my baby's feet, please?" and it made us laugh like a drain.



Of course, size does matter! When it comes to your own baby you want to remember those tiny, perfect little feet. This is how you do it: cast your baby's tiny feet in silver or bronze or glass!

Small feet – big memories.