Supporting British Industry & Craftsmanship
The company is a tap and bathroom fittings manufacturer. It holds a Royal Warrant and has supplied fittings to some of the world's most prestigious hotels, including Claridge's, The Savoy, and The Dorchester.
In 1899 brothers William and Walter Wilson started making taps and valves and in 1905 they were joined by Edward Barber. During the First World War they made shell noses and fuses. The construction boom after the Second World War led to their taps being in high demand. In more recent years, the company has supplied brassware for hotels, including The Connaught, The Four Seasons as well as the Royal Household.
The firm is still in its original 1905 building in Wood Green, on a small industrial estate in a residential area. Inside, there are old casts and wooden moulds and a historic polishing machine. During the Second World War, when coal was scarce, the owners allowed their workers to take up the factory's oak parquet flooring to burn as fuel at home. Patches of parquet remain where the heavy machinery stood. The head machinist is in his 80s and has worked for the company all his adult life.
Casting is done in the Midlands, and the parts are re-machined in Wood Green. There, computer-controlled lathes make turn parts from solid bars of brass. Nearly everything is hand polished, a very difficult job, as you have to keep the curves.
"I was delighted to see behind the scenes of Barber Wilsons, having owned and enjoyed their taps at home. The site is surrounding by houses so it's no surprise that the casting is done at a foundry in the Midlands but it's still a considerably large operation in London and the team were long standing and highly skilled. One worker had attempted to retire then rejoined - missing the routine and camaraderie of the team. The polisher's face was thick with black dust and he claimed no one wanted to do this dirty work anymore - though he showed immense pride in the work and demonstrated how hard it is to get the perfect curves required." Carmel King photographed Barber Wilsons in December 2021 for Made in London.
