SMITH & HARRIS - 31 Hatton Garden, London, EC1 N8DH

Dennis Smith and Gareth Harris met in 1975 at the Sir John Cass School of Art in London.

Dennis was studying for a diploma in Silversmithing and Jewellery. Then going on to work for K.Weiss as a gold box maker, before being appointed house designer at Edward Barnard and Sons, London’s oldest silversmiths.

Gareth attended a pre-apprenticeship course at Sir John Cass. Then serving a 5 year apprenticeship with Padgett and Braham, specialist box makers, taught by Victor de Bossart, a descendant of French Huguenots.

Working together at Edward Barnard and Sons in 1980 they decided to set up in business.

In 1981 they took on premises in Hatton Garden, London’s metalworking district for over a thousand years since armourers supplied the Knights Templar from nearby Fetter Lane.

31 Hatton Garden had been the workshops of R.Hodd and Son, little changed since Hodd had exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Hodd had taken over the building from John Terry, who had been in partnership with Samuel Hennell of the famous Hennell family of silversmiths working from the early eighteenth century.

While Smith and Harris were still bolting machinery to the floor, the first important commission arrived - to make diplomatic gifts for the new incumbent at 10 Downing Street, Margaret Thatcher.

Over the following years Smith and Harris moved from being a specialist trade workshop, supplying important retailers and other silversmiths, to being designer craftsmen in their own right. Twenty five years on they have a worldwide client base.