Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1858-1859 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 volume
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Henry Cole was born in Bath in 1808, at the age of 15 he began working for the public records historian and eventually became assistant keeper of the Public Records Office. In response to Prince Albert's Society of Arts competition in 1845, Cole designed a tea service using the pseudonym Felix Summerley which was subsequently manufactured by Minton and embodied his ideas of combining form with function. Following the success of the tea service, in 1847 Cole founded Summerley's Art Manufactures which enabled artists and sculptors to design for industry. Two years later, in 1849, Cole and the painter Richard Redgrave founded The Journal of Design and Manufactures. By this time Cole was involved in the arrangements for the Great Exhibition of 1851 which would display "art applied to industry" through exhibits from around the world. The success of the Great Exhibition encouraged better design schooling in England and in 1852 the Board of Trade set up a department of practical art with Cole as joint secretary, with Lyon Playfair (1818-1898), in this capacity he formed the nucleus of the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1858 he became sole secretary and in 1873 resigned his secretaryship. He was made Knight Commander of the Bath in 1875 and died in London in 1882.
Repository
Archival history
Unknown
GB 1134 Cole 1858-1859 Collection (fonds) 1 volume Cole , Sir , Henry , 1808-1882 , Knight , Public Servant
Henry Cole was born in Bath in 1808, at the age of 15 he began working for the public records historian and eventually became assistant keeper of the Public Records Office. In response to Prince Albert's Society of Arts competition in 1845, Cole designed a tea service using the pseudonym Felix Summerley which was subsequently manufactured by Minton and embodied his ideas of combining form with function. Following the success of the tea service, in 1847 Cole founded Summerley's Art Manufactures which enabled artists and sculptors to design for industry. Two years later, in 1849, Cole and the painter Richard Redgrave founded The Journal of Design and Manufactures. By this time Cole was involved in the arrangements for the Great Exhibition of 1851 which would display "art applied to industry" through exhibits from around the world. The success of the Great Exhibition encouraged better design schooling in England and in 1852 the Board of Trade set up a department of practical art with Cole as joint secretary, with Lyon Playfair (1818-1898), in this capacity he formed the nucleus of the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1858 he became sole secretary and in 1873 resigned his secretaryship. He was made Knight Commander of the Bath in 1875 and died in London in 1882.
Unknown
Unknown
Diary of Henry Cole,1858-1859, during which time he became sole secretary of the Department of Practical Art, established by the Board of Trade to capitalise on the success of the Great Exhibition by promoting the teaching of design for industry.
Single item
Open to all researchers by appointment
Copying is not allowed.
English.
The National Art Library of the Victoria and Albert Museum holds the main collection of Henry Cole papers.
Compiled by Janet Foster as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project. NCA rules for construction of personal, place and corporate names (1997), and ISAD (G), Second edition. November 2000 Art collections Art education Art museums Cole , Sir , Henry , 1808-1882 , Knight , civil servant Cultural education England Europe Exhibitions Great Exhibition , 1851 , London Kensington London Museums Specialized museums UK Victoria and Albert Museum Western Europe Kensington and Chelsea Collections Cultural resources
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Unknown
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Diary of Henry Cole,1858-1859, during which time he became sole secretary of the Department of Practical Art, established by the Board of Trade to capitalise on the success of the Great Exhibition by promoting the teaching of design for industry.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Single item
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open to all researchers by appointment
Conditions governing reproduction
Copying is not allowed.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
The National Art Library of the Victoria and Albert Museum holds the main collection of Henry Cole papers.
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
NCA rules for construction of personal, place and corporate names (1997), and ISAD (G), Second edition.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English