Ellin & Kitson partnership was formed in New York City by two English Sculptors from Yorkshire England in early 1879. Prior to this date they were working as Robert Ellin Company. They advertised their business as ARCHITECTURAL SCULPTORS concentrating on churches.
The elder was Robert Ellin born about 1838; the younger was John William Kitson born 1846. According to the Kitson family, it was Robert Ellin who first came to the United States and then encouraged William Kitson to follow. Their first known collaboration was a mahogany breakfront entered into a juried show for the United States Bi-Centennial held in Philadelphia in 1876. According to Kitson family history, they entered their work as Americans, thinking it would set them apart from the many English entries. At the time of the Centennial celebration, their firm Ellin & Kitson had been awarded the execution of the Astor Memorial Alter.
The breakfront was very noted and won a prize. In addition to the breakfront, they also entered various church furnishings, which was their company emphasis. Kitson family oral history tells of many trips which William took to South America to personally select the mahogany and other woods for various projects.
Some of the buildings they were involved with are as follows: The Tilden Home NYC, the William Kissam Vanderbilt Home NYC, the Marquand Mansion NYC, Marble House Newport Rhode Island, the Equitable Insurance Building NYC, Mutual Life Insurance Company Nassau St NYC, Grace Church, New York, Trinity Church Astor Redoes NYC, St. Thomas Episcopal Church Manaroneck Long Island and an earlier independent work of William Kitson on the capitals of the interior columns of Second Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Additionally, they constructed a vast number of buildings at the 1892 Chicago Exposition.
In addition to various tradesmen employed by this firm, William's younger brother Samuel James Kitson was often involved, especially when fine sculptures were to be a part of the project. Samuel James Kitson appears not to have done further work with the firm after 1888.
Following the death of William Kitson in 1888, the firm was known as Ellin, Kitson and Company, omitting the ampersand.
Columbia University has in their special collections department a style book attributed to Ellin & Kitson.
Manufacturer and Builder October 1884 pg 228 "A Fine Stone Structure" [cdl.library.cornell.edu]
The World's Fair At Chicago. III. The Decoration Of The Exposition Author: Millet, F. D. Publication Info: Scribner's Magazine Volume 0012 Issue 6 (December, 1892) / Volume 12, Issue: 6, December, 1892, pp. 692-709 [cdl.library.cornell.edu]
THE VILLARD HOUSES William C. Shopsin, AIA and Mosette Glaser Broderick 1980 Viking Press pages 47, 64
IN PURSUIT OF BEAUTY Metropolitan Museum of Art - Rizzoli 1986 Pages 110, 120-121, 123, 425, 486 note references pg 425