Ercole James Parlanti

Ercole J Parlanti was an art bronze founder who cast to the very highest standards, whose family firm Parlanti Bronze Foundries cast the Fulham War Memorial.

Born Ercole Filippo Giacomo Parlanti in Rome in 1871, he worked at the Fonderia Nelli in Rome along with his elder brother, Alessandro, learning all about bronze casting, and in particular art bronze casting by the lost wax method. The brothers moved to the UK in the 1890s and set up an art foundry at 59 Parsons Green Lane, casting for all the top sculptors of the time. 

The ancient art of lost wax casting had almost disappeared from the UK over time, and the Parlanti brothers were able to bring with them their skills and knowledge of the ancient art, which were very much in demand by sculptors of the period.

When Alessandro, along with his wife and his 3 Italian born children, returned permanently to Italy in 1905, Ercole remained in England. His 4 children were all born in Fulham, and Ercole eventually became a naturalised UK citizen in 1947. Ercole continued to run the foundry at Parsons Green, keeping the foundry name of Alessandro Parlanti as the name had become synonymous with top quality art bronze castings. By 1917 the foundry was sold, and Ercole moved a little way up the road to Beaumont Road (now Beaumont Avenue) in West Kensington where the foundry was in his own name. Most of the customers simply transferred their business from Parsons Green to Beaumont Road. 

The Fulham Chronicle would often mention the Parlanti foundries, helpfully identifying a number of their casts. In 1923 Ercole cast the huge bronze eagle which sits atop the RAF Memorial on London’s Embankment directly opposite the London Eye. This was at the time the largest piece of sculpture ever cast in England. The Fulham War Memorial was also cast by Ercole. 

• Read the full article by Steve Parlanti 👉