1834-1891 • English — The son of a blacksmith, Robinson attended the Newcastle School of Design. At the age of 14 he apprenticed to Thomas Hall Tweedy, then the most famous wood carver in all of Great Britain. It is widely accepted that a majority of Tweety's finest works were from the hand of the talented young Robinson. In fact, Tweety showed four examples of Robinson's work at the 1862 Exhibition under T.H. Tweety of Newcastle-on Tyne, which included this remarkable sideboard. Garrard Robinson demonstrates his most meticulous work in this fine showpiece. The sideboard exhibits breathtaking relief carving detailing the events in Daniel Defoe's acclaimed novel Robinson Crusoe. The attention this masterpiece garnered at the Exhibition propelled Robinson into the international spotlight. The Robinson Crusoe sideboard is pictured in The Catalogue of the International Exhibition 1862, by EP Publishing Limited, 1973, page 278.
