Robert Jackson Emerson FRBS, RBSA
Born 21 June 1878
Died 7 December 1944
Active: 1893 - 1944
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, medallist, teacher, painter
Born in Rothley, Leicestershire. He was the son of John Emerson, shoe maker. His mother, Fanny came from a family of stone workers. Robert left school in 1893 and was apprenticed to a boot and shoe factory. Encouraged by his former headmaster, he enrolled in evening classes at Leicester School of Arts and Crafts. Between 1901-6 Emerson won many prizes and local scholarships, one of these awards enabled him to visit Rouen and Paris for a month in 1902 to study metalwork and modelling.
Emerson gained his Art Master's Teaching Certificate in 1901 and taught part-time. In 1906 he began working for a firm of art metalworkers, Collins and Company, Princess Road, Leicester, run by William Pick. He probably continued to work for Pick until his appointment as second master at Wolverhampton School of Art in 1910 (Flynn (1984), p. 5).
Emerson was a highly talented, energetic and inspirational teacher. As one of his former students, Geoffrey Dudley remarked: 'Watching him model clay was like seeing magic take place before your eyes. It was almost frightening.' (Quoted in Flynn (1984), p. 6). Emerson also ran a lively professional practice. In 1920 he set up a studio in Castle Street under the auspices of Norvall Graham, Editor of the 'Express & Star'. This enabled him to undertake larger-scale commissioned work and also became a focal point of artistic activity in the town (Flynn (1984), pp. 6-7).
Commissions by Emerson include: Douglas Morris Harris Memorial, Wolverhampton, 1917; J.H. Carless Memorial, Walsall, 1918; Memorial to the 34th Division, La Boiselle, France and Mort Noir, Belgium (two casts from the same figure, c.1920-21); War Memorial for Butler's Brewery, Wolverhampton, c.1922; and Mercury Frieze, Express & Star facade, Wolverhampton, c.1932.
In 1937 Emerson joined the British School at Rome Faculty of Sculpture. He was the first sculptor who was not a member of the Royal Academy, and who was living outside of London, to be nominated for the position. (Pountney in Flynn (1984), p. 4). Emerson's election reflected the outstanding success of many of his former students, two of whom won the Rome Scholarship: Geoffrey Deeley and Albert Pountney. His most distinguished pupil was Sir Charles Wheeler PRA. Emerson retired from teaching in 1942. He continued to make sculpture, despite failing health, and died in 1944.
Wealth at death: £1,684 1s. 5d.
Probate date: 6 February 1945
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.
Physical and Mental Suffering
1914 (Presumed)
A Head in Beaten Silver
1914 (Presumed)
Flight
1915 (Presumed)
Dawn
1915 (Presumed)
Hope
1916 (Presumed)
C. Owen Silvers, Esq., MInstCE
1917 (Presumed)
Part of a Memorial Sketch Model
1918 (Presumed)
Set of Three Medals
1919 (Presumed)
Suffering
1921 (Presumed)
Ceremonial Sword Hilt
1921 (Presumed)
Day
1922 (Presumed)
In Memoriam
1922 (Presumed)
Dawn
1925 (Presumed)
N. B. Graham, Esq., RBSM
1925 (Presumed)
Bronze Head
1926 (Presumed)
Bereft
1926 (Presumed)
Portrait Head of a Girl
1926 (Presumed)
Miss C. Beech
1927 (Presumed)
Silence
1927 (Presumed)
Mrs Edmund Finlay
1927 (Presumed)
Cast Bronze Medals
1928 (Presumed)
Puella
1931 (Presumed)
Nymph
December 1932 (Presumed)
Mary G. Gibson
1935 (Presumed)
R. L. Mackay, Esq., MC, MD
1937 (Presumed)
Puella
1938 (Presumed)
Major A. H. S. Walters, VC, DSO
1938 (Presumed)
Locations
Address North Street Rothley Leicester | View on map
1901 (Circa)
Address Allfields Rothley Loughborough | View on map
1906 (Circa) - 1909 (Circa)
Address 187 Jeffcock Road Wolverhampton | View on map
1911 (Circa) - 1913 (Circa)
Address 54 Penn Road Wolverhampton | View on map
1914 - 1933
Address 88 Wynn Road Wolverhampton | View on map
December 1937 (Circa) - 1944
Studio located at Studio Castle Street Wolverhampton | View on map
1920 - 1944
Emerson worked and produced large scale works at the studio. See Flynn in 'R. J. Emerson' (1984), p. 7.
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Summer Exhibition of the Works of Provincial Artists (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1914
'A Head in Beaten Silver '
Exhibited at Summer Exhibition of the Works of Provincial Artists (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1914
'Physical and Mental Suffering'
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists [Spring] Exhibition, 1915
'Dawn'
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists [Spring] Exhibition, 1916
'Hope '
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, 50th Spring Exhibition, 1917
Multiple works
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Spring Exhibition, 1918
'Part of a Memorial Sketch Model'
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Spring Exhibition, 1919
'Set of Three Medals'
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition, 1922
'In Memoriam'
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1925
Multiple works
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Autumn Exhibition, 1926
Multiple works
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition, 1921
'Suffering'
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Autumn Exhibition, 1925
'N. B. Graham, Esq., RBSM'
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1926
Multiple works
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1927
'Miss C. Beech'
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Autumn Exhibition, 1927
Multiple works
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1928
'Cast Bronze Medals'
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham, The Autumn Exhibition, 1931
Multiple works
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham, The Autumn Exhibition, 1932
'Nymph'
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Autumn Exhibition, 1935
'Mary G. Gibson'
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Autumn Exhibition, 1937
'R. L. Mackay, Esq., MC, MD'
Exhibited at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Autumn Exhibition, 1938
'Major A. H. S. Walters, VC, DSO'
Exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition, 1908
'Love's Unfolded Innocence'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1906 - 1944
Exhibited 23 times, twenty-five works in all (statuettes, medals, reliefs, portraits and decorative works given media includes bronze, stone, and concrete)
Exhibited at Palace of Arts Empire Exhibition Scotland, 1938
1938
Won prize Prize for the best work of sculpture exhibited in London
31 March 1942
Won the prize for his statue entitled 'Golden Youth', which was exhibited at the Royal Academy Exhibition in 1941.
Institutional and Business Connections
Associate member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1923 - 1938 (Presumed)
Became fellow in 1938.
Elected professional associate member of Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1923 - 1925
First listed in the Society's catalogues as an Associate member in 1923.
Elected professional member of Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1925 - 1940 (Presumed)
First listed in the Society's catalogues as a full Member in Spring 1925. Last lised in Spring 1940 [there are no listings from Autumn 1940 to Spring 1946; not listed in Autumn 1946].
From Spring 1927 listed as R.B.S.A.
Fellow of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1938 - 1944
Died in 1944.
Member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1913 - 1944
Died in 1944.
Professor of sculpture at Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1934 - 1940
Listed in the Society's exhibition catalogues as 'Professor of Sculpture' from Spring 1934 to Spring 1940. There are no listings for Professors of Sculpture from Autumn 1940 to 1946.
Teacher of modeling at Wolverhampton Municipal School of Art and Crafts
1910 (Presumed) - 1942 (Presumed)
Start date is given by Pountney and Flynn in 'R. J. Emerson' (1984), pp. 4-5. Flynn notes that Emerson was appointed 'second master' a the school in 1910 and retired in 1942.
Emerson is listed in the School's 1912-1913 'Syllabus' as second master, teacher of the modelling course and of the metal work, enamelling and jewellery courses.
Emerson is described by Charles Wheeler in 1950 as 'a fine sculptor as well as a remarkable teacher and it was chiefly for its sculpture that he made the Wolverhampton School known throughout the land and, because of his many Prix-de-Rome successes, in Italy too'. See Wheeler, 'Wolverhampton College of Art' in The Birmingham Post (12 June, 1950).
Personal and Professional Connections
Friends with Mary Gwenllian Gibson
Gibson and Emerson were teaching colleagues at Wolverhampton School of Art and remained very close friends throughout their lives.
Nominated by Frank Lynn Jenkins
21 October 1912
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors [1912, Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, no.1].
Nominator of Percy Brown
1942 (Presumed)
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors
Seconded by Edouard Lanteri
21 October 1912
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors [1912, Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, no.1].
Taught Geoffrey Hampton Deeley
In the early 1930s
Taught Thomas Bayliss Huxley- Jones
Probably in the late 1920s
Taught Atri Brown
In the 1930s
Taught Charles Thomas Wheeler
1910 - 1912
Emerson arrived as second master three years into Wheeler's studies and revolutionised teaching in the art school
Taught Albert Pountney
1931 - 1935
Pountney contributed the introduction to Flynn, 'R. J. Emerson' (1984), p. 4
Descriptions of Practice
Listed under Sculptors Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, Coin, Gem, and Seal-Engravers, Mint Masters, &c., Ancient and Modern with References to their Works, B.C. 500 - A.D. 1900, Volume VII, 1923 Biographical Dictionary of Medallists
Listed as a contemporary sculptor who exhibited a bronze relief at the Royal Academy, London, in 1906. See Forrer, vol. 7, (1923), p. 251.
Listed under Sculptors Kelly's Directory of Staffordshire, 1932 Kelly's Trades Directories
1932
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
'Shoe Rivitter' (sic) worker
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
'Art Master, Second master Wolverhampton Art School' worker
Sources
'Wolverhampton College of Art', The Birmingham Post
12 June 1950
Unpaged.
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1908
1908
Cat. Nos. 485, 486, pp. 43, 44, 78
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
2004
RG11 piece 3152 folio 84 page 19
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2005
RG13 piece 2983 folio 84 page 11
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2011
RG14PN17037 RG78PN1051 RD369 SD4 ED28 SN300
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
2010
Name: Robert Jackson Emerson
Probate Date: 6 Feb 1945
Death Date: 7 Dec 1944
Death Place: Wolverhampton
Registry: Birmingham, England
Kelly's Directory of Staffordshire, 1932 Kelly's Trades Directories
1932
p. 953.
List of Members: Royal Society of British Sculptors
2008
Palace of Arts
Empire Exhibition
Scotland
1938
The Fine Art Section of the Empire Exhibition
1938
R. J. Emerson FRBS RBSA (1878-1944), 1984
1984
pp. 1-32.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition, 1921
1921
p. 27.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition, 1922
1922
p. 22.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Spring Exhibition, 1918
1918
p. 22.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Spring Exhibition, 1919
1919
p. 35.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. Exhibition, 1915 [Spring] Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1915
p. 27.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. Exhibition, 1916 [Spring] Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1916
p. 37.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Autumn Exhibition, 1935
1935
p. 18.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Autumn Exhibition, 1936 Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1936
p. 22.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Autumn Exhibition, 1936 Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1936
p. 22.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Autumn Exhibition, 1937 Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1937
p. 24.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Autumn Exhibition, 1938 Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1938
p. 22.
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The Spring Exhibition, 1940 Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1940
p. 2.
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Autumn Exhibition, 1925
1925
p. 26.
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Autumn Exhibition, 1926
1926
p. 22.
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Autumn Exhibition, 1927
1927
p. 25.
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1925
1925
pp. 5, 29
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1926
1926
p. 27.
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1927
1927
p. 26.
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1928
1928
p. 33.
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham. The Autumn Exhibition, 1931
1931
p. 27.
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham. The Autumn Exhibition, 1932
1932
p. 23.
Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham. The Spring Exhibition, 1934
1934
p. 6.
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Minutes of Council Meetings No. 1, 1905-1913
19 May 1913
21 October 1912.
Syllabus 1912-1913. School of Art and Technical School, 1912-1913
1912
p. 9 and p. 30.
Citing this record
'Robert Jackson Emerson FRBS, RBSA', 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=msib4_1204027815, accessed 09 Jun 2023]
