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"If
Gerard Lynch were an American citizen I would endorse any effort to make
him
a national treasure. He is singular in his knowledge of historic
brickwork,
brick manufacturing techniques and their traditional
assemblies.
Perhaps most remarkably, his hands-on skills equal and has
greatly
contributed to his encyclopedic wealth of knowledge. Perhaps more
than
any other individual in his field, Mr. Lynch has been at the
forefront
of rediscovering the lost art of "red masonry" at a depth
heretofore
unimagined."
Jeff Baker, Architect
Mesick
Cohen Wilson Baker Architects
New
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Gerard Lynch is a most
remarkable person. He is not only an outstanding master craftsman in all
aspects of historic brickwork but he is also a historian, researcher,
materials technologist, writer and teacher with an indisputable love for
his subject. Those of us who are dedicated to the traditional repair of
historic buildings and have benefited from his extensive knowledge owe him
a great debt.
Roderick Shelton MA(Cantab) BSc(Eng)
BArch(Nottm) DiplCons(AA) ACGI MCMI MaPS IHBC RegArch:
Formerly Chief
Architect to the University of Cambridge and now Architect & Historic
Buildings Consultant in Private Practice.
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"Dr.
Lynch truly is a credit to the field brickwork conservation. We
have
had him to Virginia twice to speak at our "American Lime
Conference"
on traditional brick masonry. His awareness of historic
craft
skills and his eloquence in delivering his knowledge, both in his
writings
and in person, make him a worldwide leader in historic masonry
conservation.
I have also had the pleasure to see him demonstrate his
skills
and crafts at other conferences and his professionalism coupled
with
his ability to connect with his audience whether it is 5 or 100
people
make him a dynamic speaker."
Jeffrey B. Price
Organizer- American Lime
Conference
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"Gerard Lynch has already made a substantial contribution towards the
understanding, application, repair and conservation of gauged brickwork, through
his books and teaching. I consider him to be the leading UK authority on his
subject, combining a very high level of craft skills with a considerable
knowledge of the history and technology of brick production in this specialised
area."
Professor John Ashurst,
D.Arch, RIBA.
Director, Ingram
Consultancy.
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"I
have been a bricklayer and masonry contractor for 32 years working on
commercial
buildings, schools, shopping center industrial masonry and
brick
kilns, and have always had a love of historic masonry. In 1988 I
changed
my direction from modern to historic masonry preservation which
traditional
lime products. Through my research I came across Gerard
Lynch's
books "Historic Brickwork : History, Technology and Practice
Brickwork Vol. I and II, and Gauged Brickwork.
I enjoyed these books because you could tell that they had
been
written by a bricklayer for a bricklayer. When I later attended his
workshops
in Woburn Sands a bond was formed between two bricklayers who
thoroughly
enjoy their crafts. Gerard's knowledge and insight into the
origins
of English brickwork and its European influences have been a great
project
at St. Mary's City which was the first Catholic Church to be built
in
Maryland and is a symbol of America's separation of church and state.
Dr.
Lynch has spoken and demonstrated at the second and third American
Lime
Conference which has opened a new door for his knowledge in the US.
Through
his contacts at the conference he was invited to be the keynote
speaker
at the 8th Annual International Preservation Trades Workshop and
will
be a keynote speaker at this years International Trades Education
Initiative
Symposium in Belmont, Ohio. I have no reservation in
recommending
Dr. Lynch to anyone with an interest in historic brickwork.
professional
approach, and willingness to help others is a credit to his
profession,
that of a bricklayer."
James
Price- Bricklayer
Principal
Price
Masonry Contractors, Inc.
Virginia
Lime Works
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"As an accomplished craftsman Gerard's experiences give him a
particular specialist appreciation that allows a singularly practical
interpretation of the fact his investigations reveal. His studies advance not
only a fuller understanding of historical building methods but they identify
practical improvements of the conservation, restoration and repair techniques
applied to the rich heritage of brick buildings."
Michael Hammett Dip
Arch ARIBA,
Former Senior Architect, Brick Development Association.
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It has been my privilege to
know Gerard for many years. I first became aware of him on a visit to
Bedford College of Higher Education, where as Head of Trowel Trades he had
courageously reintroduced the higher craft skills associated with gauged
brickwork to broaden the curriculum for modern apprentice bricklayers. It
was a joy to see the high quality of work being achieved by the
apprentices in the early 1990s at Bedford under Gerard’s watchful eye
and to be comforted that here at least an effort was being made to pass on
fast disappearing advanced craftwork skills.
Not content with mastering and
teaching the skills to build and repair gauged brickwork to others, Gerard
was determined to research further the origins and development of gauged
brickwork in England. To this end, through the links he had developed with
De Montfort University as a Visiting Lecturer to our MA programme in
Architectural Conservation, he registered for an MA by Independent Study
which was awarded with Distinction (2000), before going on to successfully
complete a his PhD thesis on English Gauged Brickwork (2004).
His academic work has revealed
a fascinating story of how knowledge and skills of working bricks in their
post-fired state were transferred into England by immigrant Flemish
masons/bricklayers in the fifteenth-century, and provides penetrating
insights into the development of trade and craft practices of gauged
brickwork in England over the centuries until its decline in the years
following the First World War. Gerard’s PhD thesis not only fills many
gaps in our knowledge, and can be considered to be the definitive work on
the subject, but it also points the way forward to the implementation of
effective training programmes to equip tradesmen and built environment
professionals alike to repair and conserve our rich brick-built heritage
sympathetically.
Peter Swallow Dip Surv, Dip Arch Cons, FRICS, FBEng,
FRSA, ILTM, IHBC
Professor
of Building Surveying
Department
of Product & Spatial Design
De
Montfort University
Leicester
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