Herbert James Maryon
Born 9 March 1874
Died 14 July 1965
Active: 1896 - 1961
Country of birth: England
Country of death: Scotland
Sculptor, principal of art school, art teacher, museum conservator, author
Born in London. He was educated at the Polytechnic (probably Regent Street), then at St Martin's School of Art and Central School of Arts and Crafts. In 1899 he received a one-year scholarship enabling him to take a short apprenticeship in silversmithing and metalwork at the Essex House Guild of Handicrafts run by C.R. Ashbee.
Between 1900-04 Maryon was the Director of the Keswick School of Industrial Art, which was followed by a further year teaching metalwork at the Storey Institute in Lancaster (1905). He then taught modelling, metalwork and casting at University College, Reading from 1907 until after the First World War. During the war, Maryon, together with Dr. Charles Sadler, established a successful training course in machine work for munitions workers at the University of Reading. This entailed the fitting up of milling shops and establishing a teaching curriculum under the supervision of the Ministry of Munitions. On 6 March 1918 Maryon was elected to the Institute of Mechanical Engineers on the strength of this work.
In later years he was Master of Sculpture at Armstrong College (part of the University of Durham, later the Department of Fine Art at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne). Maryon moved to the British Museum before the Second World War where he became a technical adviser and worked on the conservation of the Sutton Hoo treasures. He published books on contemporary sculpture, metalwork and enamelling and was awarded the CBE for his work on Sutton Hoo. Maryon died in Edinburgh. Probate on his personal effects was sealed on 1 November 1965 (no amount given).
This biography includes information from pp. 337-8 of the 1918 volume of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers records digitised by Ancestry as 'Mechanical Engineering Records, 1847-1930. London, UK: Institution of Mechanical Engineers.' The note about Maryon receiving the CBE was submitted by his daughter-in-law, Betty Maryon.
Probate date: 1 November 1965
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.
Designed Casket
Made Casket
Designed Fire-Irons and Stand
Medal - Berkshire County Council
Locations
Address Skiddaw Cottage Keswick England | View on map
Ran a business at 10 Fitzroy Street London England | View on map
1900 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition, 1906
Multiple works
Exhibited at Laing Art Gallery and Museum, Twentieth Annual Exhibition of Works by Artists of the Northern Counties, 1927
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1914
Exhibited 'Pan pipes - statuette' (cat. no. 2189).
Institutional and Business Connections
Apprenticed to The Guild of Handicraft
1899
Served a one-year apprenticeship in silversmithing and metalwork.
Employed at Keswick School of Industrial Arts
1900 - 1904
Director or designer at the school (possibly both)
Employed at British Museum
1939 (Circa) - 1955 (Circa)
Joined the staff before the Second World War and stayed until his retirement, worked as a technical adviser and involved in the conservation of the Sutton Hoo treasures
Student at Central School of Arts and Crafts
In the late 1890s.
Teacher of sculpture at School of Art, Armstrong College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
1933
full dates of employment unknown, previously worked at the University of Reading and afterwards became a technical adviser at the British Museum
Traded as Herbert James Maryon
Personal and Professional Connections
Brother/sibling of (Louisa) Edith C. Maryon
Based on Census Returns of 1891 and the Probate Calendar which names Herbert in Louisa's will.
Collaborated with Matthew Armstrong
Collaborated with J. Spark
1901 (Circa)
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
'Sculp [sic.] Designer for Industrial Art School'
Sources
Catalogue of the Arts & Crafts Exhibition 1900
1900
Cat. No. 69, p. 22
Catalogue of the Arts & Crafts Exhibition 1904
1904
Cat. Nos. 242, p. 17
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1906
1906
Cat. Nos. 446, 665, pp. 42, 57, 92
Catalogue of the Twentieth Annual Exhibition of Works by Artists of the Northern Counties, 1927
1927
Cat. Nos. 440, 442, 443, 444, 447, 453, 454, 455, pp. 17, 23
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2005
Class: RG13; Piece: 4878; Folio: 44; Page: 12
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
2010
Name: Herbert James Maryon
Probate Date: 1 Nov 1965
Death Date: 14 Jul 1965
Death Place: Edinburgh, Scotland
Registry: London, England
Citing this record
'Herbert James Maryon', 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=msib5_1208551459, accessed 29 Sep 2023]