Ellis Abraham Davidson (1828 – 9 March 1878) was a
British writer and educationalist. He is considered a pioneer in the teaching of techniques for
art study. He was also well known as an art lecturer.
Biography
Ellis A. Davidson was born to a
Jewish family in
Hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship
* Submarine hull
Mathematics
* Affine hull, in affi ...
, but at the age of ten moved to
London, where his father worked as a
chiropodist
Podiatry () or podiatric medicine () is a branch of medicine devoted to the study, diagnosis, medical and surgical treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and leg.
A Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), or a podiatrist, is a healthcare ...
.
He attended the London School of Design and the School of Art in
South Kensington, and was one of the first teachers sent into the provinces by the
Science and Art Department to establish schools of art. For several years he taught at the Government School of Arts and Crafts in
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
.
In 1866 Davidson was appointed principal art master of the City Middle Class School, a position which he resigned after six years in order to devote himself more completely to his literary career. As a lecturer, he delivered talks to such organisations as the Teachers' Training Association, the
Horological Society, the
Grenadier Guards, the
London Mechanics' Institute, the
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and
Jews' College
The London School of Jewish Studies (commonly known as LSJS, originally founded as Jews' College) is a London-based organisation providing adult educational courses and training to the wider Jewish community. Since 2012 LSJS also offers rabbinic ...
. He also produced a series of models for class teaching of drawing, which were used in government and other schools.
Davidson took an active interest in several communal movements, especially those intended to promote the intellectual development of the adult members of the Jewish industrial classes. He was a committee member for the Association for Providing Free Lectures to Jewish Working Men and Their Families, the Society of Hebrew Literature, the Jewish Association for the Diffusion of Religious Knowledge, and other institutions.
Partial bibliography
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Ellis A.
1828 births
1878 deaths
19th-century British Jews
19th-century English male writers
19th-century English non-fiction writers
Alumni of the Royal College of Art
British art teachers
British draughtsmen
British textbook writers
Jewish English writers
British lecturers
Technical writers
Writers from Kingston upon Hull
Writers from London