George Hart was a British silversmith whose career continued the traditions of C. R. Ashbee’s Guild of Handicraft. He joined the Guild shortly before its move from London to Chipping Campden in 1902 and worked from the silversmiths’ workshop at the Old Silk Mill.
When financial difficulties forced the Guild into voluntary liquidation in 1908, Hart remained in Chipping Campden and continued the workshop independently. He registered the Guild’s “GofH” mark in his own name in 1912, preserving its emphasis on hand-raised silver and individual craftsmanship. The Old Silk Mill remains the home of Hart Silversmiths today.
Hart began training his half-brother, Reynell Huyshe, in 1912. Following Huyshe’s return from military service in 1919, they formed the partnership Hart & Huyshe. Its metalwork was sold through Gordon Russell’s firm, and the “Hart & Huyshe” stamp was used until around 1927, when Huyshe left to teach at Gravesend School of Art.
The partnership’s relatively brief period of production makes surviving pieces uncommon. Known examples include lighting, vessels and a beaten copper bowl now held by The Wilson in Cheltenham.
