Charles Vyse
Born 15 March 1882
Died 10 June 1971
Active: 1894 - 1959
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, potter, teacher
Born in Milton, Staffordshire into a family of potters. His father, also Charles, was born born c.1856 and was a pottery copper plate engraver and engineer. Charles (junior) was apprenticed to Doulton's aged fourteen and trained at Hanley School of Art (1894-1905). In 1905 he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art (1905-10) and also studied for a further year at Camberwell School of Art (1912).
Around 1920 Vyse established a workshop in Cheyne Row and was particularly interested in recreating Chinese glaze effects. Charles worked in close collaboration with his wife, Nell (1892-1967), who was particularly important in developing glazes. They worked together until the marriage ended c.1940.
This was a turning point in his career as as Vyse's studio was damaged in an air raid resulting in him leaving London. He also began to teach at Farnham School of Art from this date. There are at least 21 examples of Vyse's pottery in the Victoria and Albert Museum. He died at Deal in Kent.
Locations
Address The Limerston Studio Limerston Street | View on map
1911 (Circa)
Address 3 Primrose Hill Studios Fitzroy Road London NW | View on map
1912 (Circa)
Address 430 Fulham Road London SW | View on map
1913 (Circa)
Address 14 Gunter Grove Chelsea London SW10 | View on map
1914 (Circa) - 1915 (Circa)
Address 14A Cheyne Row Chelsea London | View on map
1916 (Circa) - 1959 (Circa)
Used this address apart from 1917-18
Address 433 Fulham Road London SW6 | View on map
1917 (Circa) - 1918 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1911 - 1959
Exhibited 27 times (20 times up to 1951), about 54 works in all (busts and statuettes until 1920 and then chiefly terracotta and stoneware figure groups)
Institutional and Business Connections
Apprenticed to Doulton and Co. Limited
1896 (Circa)
Went on to model figures for Doulton, no dates are given: see Wilkinson 'Ceramic Artists' (2007), p. 150.
Associate member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1923 - 1930
Member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1911 - 1930
Vyse was removed from the Roll of Members in 1930 for non-payment of subscriptions.
Student at Hanley School of Art
1894 (Circa) - 1905 (Circa)
See Haggar (1953), p. 51 and Wilkinson 'Ceramic Artists' (2007), p. 150.
Studied at Royal College of Art (including National Art Training School)
1906 (Presumed) - February 1911
A 'C. Vyse' is listed as a student at the College for five years. Left the College in the 1910-1911 session. Vyse's subsequent profession is decsribed as 'sculptor & 'pri [? unclear in the manuscript] teaching': see 'Register of R. C. A. Students' (1907-1924), p. 34.
Teacher of modeling at Camberwell School of Art
September 1925 - June 1930
Listed as a teacher of evening classes in modelling and pottery modelling.
Personal and Professional Connections
Nominated by Frank Lynn Jenkins
19 June 1911
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors [19 June 1911, Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, no.1].
Seconded by Edouard Lanteri
19 June 1911
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors [19 June 1911, Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, no.1].
Worked with Marjorie Violet G Drawbell
1921 (Circa)
From 1921 modelling ceramic figures
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
'Modeller in Clay' worker
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
'Sculptor' working on own account at home
Sources
A Century of Art Education in the Potteries. With notes on the Artists, 1953 Local Studies
1953 (Circa)
p. 51.
A Dictionary of Ceramic Artists
2007
p. 150.
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2001
Class: RG13; Piece: 2607; Folio: 78; Page: 15
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2009
RG14PN373 RG78PN12 RD4 SD1 ED2 SN125
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2007
2007
Name: Charles Vyse
Birth Date: 15 Mar 1882
Death Registration Month/Year: 1971
Registration district: Fulham
Inferred County: London
Volume: 5b
Page: 767
List of Members: Royal Society of British Sculptors
2008
Potters
2004
p. 110, fn.1
Register of Royal College of Art Students, 1907-1924 Royal College of Art
1907
p. 34.
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Minutes of Council Meetings No. 1, 1905-1913
19 May 1913
19 June 1911.
The Times Digital Archive 1785-1985
2008
The Times, Friday, Jun 11, 1971; pg. 16; Issue 58196; col G
Mr Charles Vyse
Category: Obituaries (accessed 2 September 2010)
Who was Who
December 2007
‘VYSE, Charles’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U160600, accessed 28 Jan 2009]
Citing this record
'Charles Vyse', 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_1219315539, accessed 23 Mar 2023]
