Courtenay Edward Maxwell Pollock RBA
Born 23 June 1877
Died 7 June 1943
Active: 1896 - 1933
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor
Born in Edgbaston, Birmingham to a family that originated in Renfrewshire. His father was Robert Pollock (born c.1841 in Birmingham) a wholesale ironmonger. Pollock married Mary Beatrice Mott, known as Beatrice Lamotte, opera singer. He studied at Birmingham School of Art and, possibly, the Royal College of Art.
Pollock exhibited widely and had shows at the Bruton Gallery, London in January 1904 with pictures by Stephen Baghot De la Bere (1877-1927) and at the Greatorex Galleries, London in 1937. This latter show was titled an 'Exhibition of sculptured portraits of women and men of fame and beauty by Courtenay Pollock'. His sitters included Sir Alfred East PRBA (1844-1913) and amongst his commissions was a bronze statue to General William Franklin Draper. This is mounted on a granite base in Adin Street, Hopedale, Massachusetts, US, and was unveiled on 30 May 1910. Pollock was the sculptor of the figure of Victory for Newton Abbot's War Memorial. The Town Museum has correspondence and images relating to this contract (1920-22).
Pollock was a member of a number of societies: the Royal Society of British Artists (1904-21); a Fellow of Royal Society of Literature (1921); a member of the Royal West of England Academy (1921); and of the London Sketch Club. He died in Ealing (registered in Brentford, Middlesex).
This entry includes information from John Downe, Michelle Matthews, Paul Johnson and Tess Walker. The information about the statue of General Draper was submitted by Daniel Malloy, more information is available at http://www.hope1842.com/hhist12-09-15.html (accessed 17 September 2012). The papers relating to Newton Abbot's War Memorial are in Newton Abbot Town Museum, 2a St Paul's Road, Newton Abbot, Devon, UK.
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
Bust
1909 (Presumed)
Reclining Figure
1913 (Presumed)
£52 10s.
The Rt Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, MP
1913 (Presumed)
Spring
1913 (Presumed)
£60
The Late Sir Henry Irving
1913 (Presumed)
£300
Haldane Macfall, Esq.
1913 (Presumed)
Portrait of the Late Viscount Northcliffe
1923 (Presumed)
£105
Portrait of the Late Viscount Rothermero
1923 (Presumed)
Spring
1923 (Presumed)
£52 10s.
Locations
Address 38 Warwick Gardens Kensington London | View on map
1913
Address Torrs Park Ilfracombe | View on map
1922 (Presumed)
Address 19 Marlborough Place St. John's Wood London | View on map
1923 (Circa) - 1924 (Circa)
Worked at County Hall Westminster Bridge Road London | View on map
October 1909
One of three artists invited to submit models for the mooring-rings or 'dolphins', the others being Hubert Paton and Gilbert Bayes (the latter's design was successful).
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at The Forty-Fourth Spring Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1909
'Bust'
Exhibited at Birmingham Municipal School of Art, Exhibition of Students' Work, 1896
1896
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1912 - 1920
Exhibited 5 times, usually one work each year (mostly portrait busts).
Exhibited at Exhibition of the Bristol Academy, Annual Spring Exhibition for the Promotion of the Fine Arts, The Sixty-Eighth, 1913
1913
Exhibited at The Seventy-Eighth Annual Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy, 1923-4
2 October 1923 - 2 February 1924
Exhibited at The Royal Scottish Academy Exhibition, 1826-
1923
Exhibited at the annual exhibition 1 time: 1923 (1 work)
Institutional and Business Connections
Assistant teacher of modeling at Vittoria Street School for Jewellers and Silversmiths
1901 - 1902
Note that Pollock is described as a teacher at the school for six years in 'To Keep Film Producers Right', Birmingham Mail in 'Birmingham Biography', vol. 24, p. 32.
Associate member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1923 - 1933
Notes that in 1913 Pollock was nominated for membership by F.W. Pomeroy and F. Derwent Wood. See R.B.S. Minute Book, no. 2, 1913-1922, 20 October, 1913.
Member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1913 (Circa) - 1933
May have joined in 1914; note that photographs were requested to support application in May 1913 [19 May 1913, Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, no.1]. In 1927 it is recorded that Pollock was struck off the roll of members for non-payment of subscriptions.
Professional member of The Royal West of England Academy
1921 (Presumed) - 1930
Listed as Professional Member 'Sculpture'
Student at Birmingham Municipal School of Art, Central School
1896
Unsuccessful in ballot for election to Royal Academy of Arts
Only received one nomination of the required three; this was also withdrawn after two months.
Personal and Professional Connections
Nominated by Frederick William Pomeroy
21 April 1913
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors [21 April 1913, Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, no.1].
Nominated by Francis Derwent Wood
23 February 1922 - 22 April 1922
For RA; unsuccessful. For unspecified reason, Wood withdrew his February nomination on April 22.
Seconded by Francis Derwent Wood
21 April 1913
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors [21 April 1913, Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, no.1].
Sources
Birmingham Biography, Newspaper Cuttings, 1872-1966 Birmingham Biography
See 'To Keep Film Producers Right', the Birmingham Mail, in 'Birmingham Biography', vol. 24, (29 March 1935-20 December 1935), p. 32.
Catalogue for the Eighty-First Annual Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy, 1926
1926
Catalogue for the Eighty-Fourth Annual Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy, 1929
1929
Catalogue for the Seventy-Eighth Annual Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy, 1923
1923
Catalogue for the Seventy-Ninth Annual Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy, 1924
1924
Catalogue for the Seventy-Seventh Annual Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy, 1922
1922
Catalogue for the Seventy-Sixth Annual Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy, 1921
1921
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
2004
Class: RG11; Piece: 2957; Folio: 110; Page: 24; GSU roll: 1341707
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2005
RG13 piece 2809 folio 63 page 19
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2007
2007
Name: Courtenay E M Pollock
Birth Date: abt 1876
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1943
Age at Death: 67
Registration district: Brentford
Inferred County: Middlesex
Volume: 3a
Page: 258
List of Members: Royal Society of British Sculptors
2008
Royal Academy of Arts Nominations for Associateship, 1906-1927
1927
p.196.
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Minutes of Council Meetings No. 1, 1905-1913
19 May 1913
21 April 1913; 19 May 1913.
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Minutes of Council Meetings No. 2, 1913-1922
1922 (Presumed)
20 October 1913
Survey of London Monograph 17: County Hall
1991
'Architectural sculpture and decorative treatment', Survey of London Monograph 17: County Hall (1991), pp. 57-69. URL: http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=118182 Date accessed: 02 May 2011
Who was Who
December 2007
‘POLLOCK, Courtenay Edward Maxwell’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U230534, accessed 20 Jan 2009]
Citing this record
'Courtenay Edward Maxwell Pollock RBA', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib1_1219068820, accessed 02 Oct 2023]
