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Description: | Dr James Whitbread Lee Glaisher (1848-1928) was a professional mathematician at Trinity College, Cambridge. He assembled a notable ceramic collection which he left to the Fitzwilliam Museum, now displayed in the gallery which bears his name. It is recorded that Dr. Glaisher was a methodical man who made notes about his pieces and it was considered that Ã-he will be remembered as one of the leading pottery collectors of his time.Ã
The effect of his collecting on his rooms at Cambridge has been thus described:-
Ã-... his collections never ceased to grow, always under his earnest care. ... his collections outgrew available space, downstairs, upstairs, even in his remote bedroom. He was granted an additional set of rooms at the top of his staircase and next to the upper floor of his own set; they, too, soon were filled. He then hired a sort of warehouse, that also became filled in due course. ... the Fitzwilliam Museum ... granted him a room (also soon filled) in the new wing...Ã
Dr Glaisher began collecting Delft pottery, but then moved to English earthenware via emulations of Delft items. By the time of Dr GlaisherÃ's bequest to the Fitzwilliam Museum the collection was predominately composed of early English pottery but with considerable quantities of other pottery and porcelain from all over Europe also included. In total some 3,000 items were left to the museum, many of which were ceramics bearing names and dates relating to their original owners, and which granted the museum itÃ's current position as one of the countriesÃ' foremost collections of ceramics. Dr GlaishersÃ' ceramic collection was published in a two-volume Fitzwilliam Catalogue in 1935, edited by Bernard Rackham.
In addition to his ceramics, almost a third of the Fitzwilliam MuseumÃ's sampler collection comes from the bequest of Dr Glaisher. GlaisherÃ's samplers provide a comprehensive, dated selection of examples from the seventeenth century, including many dated samplers. One piece dating from 1629 was the earliest known dated sampler until 1960. Glaisher was able to build up his collection at a time when samplers were not widely sought, providing enough examples to provide sound chronological evidence of their changing styles.
Dr Glaisher also donated a huge number of childrenÃ's chapbooks to the Cambridge University Library, many of which are unique survivals of the genre. | Format: | physical | Subjects: | Ceramics Earthenware Textile design Embroidery Textiles Textile arts Ceramic art Childrens books | Source: | Cornucopia - Discovering UK Collections | FAX: | 01223 332 923 | Telephone: | 01223 332 900 | Identifier: | oai:www.cornucopia.org.uk:8412 | Format: | physical | Go to resource |
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