Robert Sidney Catterson-Smith MA
Born 23 February 1853
Died 15 December 1938
Active: 1897 - 1938
Country of birth: Ireland
Country of death: England
Headmaster of art school, silversmith, painter, illustrator
Born in Dublin. He was the son of Stephen Catterson Smith (1806-72), portrait painter and President of the Royal Hibernian Academy. Robert studied at the Royal Hibernian Academy and Dublin School of Art where he became an assistant teacher. He was a painter, black and white artist and silversmith.
Catterson-Smith moved to London in 1874 to study under John Henry Foley but this was cut short by the sculptor's death. Robert took up painting and then turned to art metal work in 1892. Catterson-Smith was largely a self-taught silversmith though he attended some classes a Bedford Park School of Art. He worked for William Morris from 1893, particularly on the designs by Edward Burne-Jones for the Kelmscott Press edition of Chaucer. Between 1894-32 he was a member of the Art Workers Guild.
Catterson-Smith taught design at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London and acted as an inspector of schools for the London County Council in the late 1890s. From 1901-3 he was headmaster of the Vittoria Street Branch School and from 1903-20 of the Central School of Art, both in Birmingham. In 1912 Catterson-Smith also became Director of Art Education for the City of Birmingham. He was the author of 'Drawing from memory and mind picturing' (London, 1921) and was the subject of the catalogue 'Robert Catterson-Smith: a forgotten Pre-Raphaelite' (Brighton, 2003). He died at Park House Gardens, Twickenham, London.
Information derived from various sources including the obituary in 'The Times' (see below) articles in the Birmingham Daily Mail, 26 May, 1903, 'Birmingham Biography', vol. 4, p. 58A; and the Birmingham Mail, 19 June, 1920, 'Birmingham Biography', vol. 10, pp. 169-170.
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.
Wrought-iron and Brass Footman
Contributed to making of Wrought-iron and Brass Footman
Series of twelve plaster reliefs
Made Plaque
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: Eleventh Exhibition, 1916
Multiple works
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Arts and Crafts Exhibition, 1909
1909
Exhibited 'Badde of Bailiff of King Edward's Grammer Schools': p. 10 (Case 3, E1); two presentation trowels and a key: p. 18 (Case 7, M3); and 'The mace of the University of Birmingham': (Case 9).
Speaker at The Relation of the Arts to Literature (Art Workers Guild), 1925
Institutional and Business Connections
Chairwoman/chairman of Birmingham Art Workers' Guild
1902 (Presumed)
Elected professional associate member of Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
1905 - 1920
First listed in the Society's catalogues as an Associate member in Spring 1905. Last listed as an Associate in Autumn 1920; was never elecetd to full membership of the Society.
Headmaster of Vittoria Street Branch School of the Birmingham Municipal School of Art
1901 - June 1903
See an article from the Birmingham Daily Mail, 26 May, 1903, in 'Birmingham Biography', vol. 4, p. 58A.
Headmaster of Birmingham Municipal School of Art, Central School
1903 - 1920
Took over as headmaster from Edward R. Taylor who retired on the 30 June 1903. See an article from the Birmingham Daily Mail, 26 May, 1903, in 'Birmingham Biography', vol. 4, p. 58A.
Member of Art Workers Guild
1894 (Presumed) - 1932
He retired from membership
Teacher of design at Central School of Arts and Crafts
1896 - June 1901
Listed as a teacher of design.
Personal and Professional Connections
Collaborated with G. Wright
Daughter/son/child of Stephen Catterson Smith
Robert added the hyphenation
Studied under John Henry Foley
1874
Catterson-Smith studied briefly under Foley until the latter's death in 1874. See an article in the Birmingham Daily Mail, 26 May, 1903, in 'Birmingham Biography', vol. 4, p. 58A.
Sources
Art Workers Guild Annual Reports, 1901-1912
1902, p.9.
Arts and Crafts Society: Catalogue of the Eleventh Exhibition.
1916
p.142, p.153, p.155, p.158.
Birmingham Biography, Newspaper Cuttings, 1872-1966 Birmingham Biography
See 'Birmingham Biography', vol. 4, (1902-3), p. 58A and vol. 10, (1917-1922), pp. 169-170.
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1897
1897
Cat. No. 816, p. 77
Central School of Arts and Crafts, Prospectus and Time-Table. Fifth Session Commencing 24 September 1900
24 September 1900
p. 12.
Occasional Proceedings of the Midland Arts Club, Birmingham, Annual Report 1912 Midland Arts Club Reports
December 1912
p. 3.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
2004
Fintan Cullen, ‘Smith, Stephen Catterson (1806–1872)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/25902, accessed 22 June 2009]
Prospectus and Time Table, The Central School of Arts and Crafts, 20 December 1896
20 December 1896
p. 2.
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Arts and Crafts Exhibition, 1909
1909
pp. 10, 18-19
The Times Digital Archive 1785-1985
2008
The Times, Saturday, Dec 17, 1938; pg. 16; Issue 48180; col D
Mr. R. S. Catterson Smith Late Director Of Art In Birmingham
Category: Obituaries
Citing this record
'Robert Sidney Catterson-Smith MA', 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_1206027300, accessed 29 Mar 2023]
