James Henry Sellers [also known as J. Henry Sellers] was born in Rawtenstall, Lancashire, England, on 1 November 1861. He trained in the offices of architects in Liverpool, Birmingham and London. He was also an assistant to the architects Walter Green Penty (1852-1902) in York and George Dale Oliver (1851-1952) in
Carlisle. Sellers went into practice as an independent architect in Oldham, Lancashire in 1899, and was in joint partnership with Edgar Wood in Manchester between 1900 and 1922. Projects by Sellers and the Wood and Sellers practice included solicitors' offices in King Street, Oldham (1906-07), and Elm Street School, near Manchester (1909-10).
Sellers also worked as a furniture designer. photograph of oak bedroom furniture inlaid with holly and ebony he designed is featured in 'The Studio Yearbook of Decorative Art' 1906 (p.79), a fireplace he designed is illustrated in 'The Studio Yearbook of Decorative Art' 1923 (p.73) and a fireplace he designed is illustrated in 'The Studio Yearbook of Decorative Art' 1924 (p.66). Sellers produced several designs for Pilkington's Tile & Pottery Co. Ltd. A marble mantle with lustre tile decoration designed by Sellers and executed by Pilkington's Tile & Pottery Co. Ltd. is illustrated in 'The Studio Yearbook of Decorative Art' 1909 (p.31). This was shown in Pilkington's kiosk at the Franco-British Exhibition held in London in 1908.
Examples of his Sellers' work as a furniture designer are in the permanent collection of Manchester City Art Galleries. He died in Bucklow, Cheshire in 1954. An exhibition of the work of Wood and Sellers - 'Partnership in Style: Edgar Wood and J. Henry Sellers', was held at Manchester City Art Galleries in 1978. [See also: Wood, Edgar]
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Partnership in style: Edgard Wood and J. Henry Sellers. Manchester, England: Manchester City Art Galleries, 1978 [Exhibition catalogue]