Background
Born in Dundee on 25 March 1868, the son of a plasterer, Clarks family moved to London when he was still young.
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Joseph Clark
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In 1913 Clark joined with Harry Fenn, a surveyor, founding a company at Loughborough Junction to specialise in ornamental fibrous plasterwork and Plaster of Paris work. The business was a rapid success with commissions from the new cinemas and major theatres who competed against each other through the splendour of their interior decoration. Foreign designs, Clark & Fenn worked closely with G. Jackson & Sons, founded in 1780 with Robert Adam as a designer.
The company soon moved to larger premises at Clapham Old Town where they were able to prefabricate much of their work off-site.
This allowed them to take the mouldings ready-prepared for installation to a theatre or cinema, minimising the disruption to performances and rehearsals. Notable works include:
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Grand Theatre Leeds
London Palladium
Somerset House in the Strand
Saint Clement Danes in the Strand,
Granada, Tooting.
