Walter Harvey Brook (1863 – 6 April 1943) was an English

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

, artist and

curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

based in

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

Biography

Walter was born in

Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...

, Lancashire the son of

businessman Harvey Brookand. He trained as an architect in LondonFoot Walker, W. 1975. "Walter Harvey Brook", ''Exhibition of Works by Walter Harvey Brook, Architect of York 1864–1943'' (Byre Art Gallery Exhibition Catalogue) and travelled as a young man, painting some aspects of his journeys. He visited Australia in 1883,

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

and

Aden Aden ( ar, عدن ' Yemeni: ) is a city, and since 2015, the temporary capital of Yemen, near the eastern approach to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aden), some east of the strait Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000 people. ...

in 1887 and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

in 1890. He also spent much time in France between 1895 and 1905. He produced over 113 paintings, drawing primarily on historical buildings and landscapes for inspiration. In 1904 and 1905, Brook reconstructed Jacobs Well, a historic house in York, at his own expense. Harvey Brook was appointed Honorary Curator of Medieval Archaeology in the

Yorkshire Museum The Yorkshire Museum is a museum in York, England. It was opened in 1830, and has five permanent collections, covering biology, geology, archaeology, numismatics and astronomy. History The museum was founded by the Yorkshire Philosophical Soci ...

in 1912''Annual Report of the Council of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society for 1912''. York: YPS by the

Yorkshire Philosophical Society The Yorkshire Philosophical Society (YPS) is a charitable learned society (charity reg. 529709) which aims to promote the public understanding of the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the archaeology and history of York and Yorkshire. ...

. He assisted with excavations within the grounds of St. Mary's Abbey and drew and painted aspects of Medieval York, including a series of six painting of Holy Trinity Church, York. In 1905 Harvey Brook was responsible for the restoration of Jacob's Well – a 15th century house associated with Holy Trinity Church, York Following the construction of the Tempest Anderson Hall in the

he collaborated with

E. Ridsdale Tate Edwin Ridsdale Tate L.R.I.B.A (1862–1922) was a British antiquary, artist and architect based in York. Life Tate was born in York, where his birth was registered in the Bootham sub-district. For a time, he worked for local architectural firm ...

in founding and shaping the Museum of Medieval Architecture beneath it in 1912. He continued to be associated with the

until his death in 1943, maintaining his post as Honorary Curator as well as becoming Vice-President of the YPS in 1923 and part of the committee for the restoration of St. Mary's Abbey in 1939. Prior to the 1922 death of his colleague

, Harvey Brook's dedication to Medieval Architecture was described in one of his final lectures: ''"The arrangement in their new home'' (of the Medieval stonework from St. Mary's Abbey, York) ''was begun and carried on under the guidance of Mr. Harvey Brook, who, I may say, has with loving care tended these fragments from the moment they were touched by the workmen till they rested safely in a more spacious abode."''Ridsdale Tate. E. 1929. The Charm of St. Mary's Abbey and the Architectural Museum, York. York: Yorkshire Philosophical Society. pp2

Excavations of St. Mary' Abbey

In 1913, Harvey Brook supervised the excavation and partial rebuilding of a portion of the North and East Cloister alleys.Harvey Brook, W. 1914. "Excavation of Cloister & Restoration of South Nave Wall etc." in ''Annual Report of the Council of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society for 1913''. York: Yorkshire Philosophical Society, xvii–xviii These walls had been partially destroyed during the construction of the

York Museum Gardens The York Museum Gardens are botanic gardens in the centre of York, England, beside the River Ouse. They cover an area of of the former grounds of St Mary's Abbey, and were created in the 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society along with ...

in 1828. Brook was self-funded for much of the excavation of the Abbey and devoted a great deal of time to the cataloguing and presentation of the architectural stonework.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Harvey Brook, Walter 1863 births English antiquarians 19th century in England English curators 1943 deaths 20th-century archaeologists Yorkshire Museum people Members of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society

Biography

Excavations of St. Mary' Abbey

See also

References

External links