Walter Harvey Brook (1863 – 6 April 1943)
was an English
antiquarian, 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
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 ...
businessman Harvey Brookand. He trained as an architect in London
[Foot 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 m ...
and
Aden 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 Soc ...
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
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 Soc ...
he collaborated with
E. Ridsdale Tate in founding and shaping the Museum of Medieval Architecture beneath it in 1912.
He continued to be associated with 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.
...
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
E. Ridsdale Tate, 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 wit ...
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.
See also
*
York Art Gallery
York Art Gallery is a public art gallery in York, England, with a collection of paintings from 14th-century to contemporary, prints, watercolours, drawings, and ceramics. It closed for major redevelopment in 2013, reopening in summer of 2015. T ...
*
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 Soc ...
*
St. Mary's Abbey
*
Tempest Anderson
*
William Etty
William Etty (10 March 1787 – 13 November 1849) was an English artist best known for his history paintings containing nude (art), nude figures. He was the first significant British painter of nudes and still lifes. Born in York, h ...
*
E. Ridsdale Tate
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