Professor Alfred Horace Gerrard
Born 7 May 1899
Died 13 June 1998
Active: 1925 - 1968
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, teacher of sculpture
Born in Hartford, Cheshire. He was a direct descendant of John Gerard, author of the herbal published in 1597. Alfred Gerrard studied at Northwich Technical School until 1916 and then saw active service with the Cameron Highlanders, Black Watch, Gordon Highlanders and Royal Flying Corps. After demobilization c.1919, he attended Manchester School of Art and then the Slade from about 1920. In 1925 Henry Tonks appointed Gerrard as head of sculpture at the Slade, and he remained there (apart from war service) until 1968, becoming professor in 1949. He married the painter, Katherine Leigh-Pemberton in 1933.
Over Gerrard's long career he created portrait busts, major carved sculptures, paintings and wood engravings. His most publicised work was the North Wind carving, on the Underground Railway offices at 55 Broadway, Westminster, c.1928. During the Second World War, Gerrard worked in camouflage until 1942 when he was discharged after being injured in a plane crash. In 1950 he travelled to Nigeria as a visiting professor, serving in a similar role at Bristol, Reading, Corsham Court, Camberwell and Oxford. Gerrard's own work continued, often on a large scale. A major work was a sculptured wall 'The Dance', which was exhibited in Battersea Park in 1960 and awarded a silver medal by the Royal Society of British Sculptors. In 1978 the South London Art Gallery held a retrospective exhibition with a catalogue that included an introduction by his friend and Slade colleague, F.E. McWilliam. He died at Leyswood, East Sussex.
This entry includes information submitted by Karen Gerrard and from David Buckman 'A.H. Gerrard: Obituary', 'The Independent', Tuesday, 30 June 1998, http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-a-h-gerrard-1168530.html, accessed 25 October 2009
Institutional and Business Connections
Associate member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1948 - 1952
Fellow of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1952
Professor of modeling at Slade School of Fine Art
September 1948
Listed as a Professor of Sculpture from 1948-1949 onwards. Gerrard is still listed as Professor in the 1951-1952 prospectus, the final year sampled for this database.
Teacher of modeling at Slade School of Fine Art
September 1925 - July 1948
Listed as an assistant teacher of sculpture. Not listed in 1939-1940 or 1940-1941, but listed again from 1941-1942 onwards.
Personal and Professional Connections
Colleague of Frederick Edward McWilliam
1947
Invited F.E. McWilliam to join teaching staff at Slade
Nominated by Herbert William Palliser
1948 (Presumed)
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors
Nominated by Gilbert Ledward
1948 (Presumed)
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors
Teacher to Ronald Pope
1945 (Circa) - 1948
Sources
List of Members: Royal Society of British Sculptors
2008
University College London. Calendar. Session 1925-1926
1925
p. 111.
University College London. Calendar. Session 1939-1940
1939
p. 133.
University College London. Calendar. Session 1941-1942
1941
p. liii.
University College London. Calendar. Session 1945-1946
1945
p. 77.
University College London. Calendar. Session 1948-1949
1948
p. 103.
University of London. University College Calendar, 1951-1952
1951
p. xliii.
Citing this record
'Professor Alfred Horace Gerrard', 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_1253544528, accessed 23 Sep 2023]
