Percival (Percy) Herbert Portsmouth RSA
Born 1874
Died 29 October 1953
Active: 1903 - 1953
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, teacher
Born and raised in Reading, Berkshire and surrounding area. (Some sources give Edinburgh as his birthplace but his birth registration and the decennial Census returns confirm the whereabouts of his birth and upbringing). Percy, as he was usually known, was the son of Robert John Portsmouth (born c.1850 in Southampton), a smith (variously working on coaches and in a biscuit factory). In 1903 Percy married Kate Emma Pope, the daughter of a joiner, in Lambeth. He taught sculpture at Edinburgh College of Art and later retired to Rushden, Hertfordshire. While living in Hertfordshire he continued to work and exhibit. Amongst his sculptures from the mid to late 1930s were a bronze statuette of 'Dummy' Barnes who was well-known local character in the North Hertfordshire area. Portsmouth died at Lister Hospital, Hitchin, Hertfordshire.
This record includes information submitted by Jan Jasion and Virginia Swain.
Wealth at death: £17,308 9s. 9d.
Probate date: 10 September 1954
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.
Sir D. Y. Cameron, RA, RSA, LLD
The Captive
1908
Remorse
1908
Miranda
1921
Bronze
1923
The Cloud
1924
Baby
1926 (Circa)
Captive
1927
The Scottish National War Memorial: 'Survival of the Spirit'; figures of Freedom and Charity
1927
Baby
1933
Reflections
1933 (Circa)
Study of a Child
1935
Study of a Peasant
1935 (Circa)
Labour
1938
Locations
Address 28 Orts Road Reading England | View on map
1891 (Circa)
Address 21 Guildford Street Clapham London England | View on map
1902 (Circa)
Previous addresses include: 11, Lincoln Street, Chelsea (1901)
Address 65 Warrender Park Road Edinburgh Scotland | View on map
1903 (Circa)
Address 40 Wilkinson Street Lambeth London England | View on map
1903
Living at this address when he got married.
Address 10 Viewforth Square Edinburgh Scotland | View on map
1904 (Circa)
Address 40 Warrender Park Terrace Edinburgh Scotland | View on map
1905 (Circa)
Address The Studio Westhall Gardens Edinburgh Scotland | View on map
1906 (Circa) - 1909 (Circa)
Address 39 George Square Edinburgh Scotland | View on map
1910 (Circa) - 1928 (Circa)
Address Young Loves Rushden Buntingford England | View on map
1940 (Circa) - 1953
Living at this address at the time of his death
Address given as 185 Bath Street Glasgow Scotland | View on map
1920 (Circa)
Address of the Glasgow Art Club
Studio located at The Studio, Rusden near Buntingford England | View on map
1929 (Circa) - 1954 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Fourteenth Annual Exhibition of the Society of Scottish Artists, 1908
'Remorse'
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1935
'Study of a Peasant'
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1933
'Baby'
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1921
Multiple works
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1923
'Bronze'
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1926
'Baby'
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1931
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1902 - 1952
Exhibited 28 times (27 times up to 1951), often one work but sometimes two or three each year.
Exhibited at The Royal Scottish Academy Exhibition, 1826-
1903 - 1954
Exhibited at the annual exhibition 49 times: 1903 (2 works), 1904 (3 works), 1905 (3 works), 1906 (2 works), 1907 (3 works), 1908 (3 works), 1909 (3 works), 1910 (2 works), 1911 (3 works), 1912 (3 works), 1913 (3 works), 1914 (3 works), 1915 (3 works), 1916 (1 work), 1917 (1 work), 1918 (3 works), 1919 (7 works), 1920 (3 works), 1921 (3 works), 1922 (2 works), 1923 (3 works), 1924 (3 works), 1925 (3 works), 1926 (2 works), 1927 (3 works), 1928 (3 works), 1929 (3 works), 1930 (3 works), 1931 (3 works), 1932 (3 works), 1933 (3 works), 1934 (3 works), 1935 (3 works), 1936 (3 works), 1937 (2 works), 1938 (3 works), 1939 (3 works), 1940 (4 works), 1943 (1 work), 1945 (5 works), 1946 (1 work), 1947 (3 works), 1948 (3 works), 1949 (4 works), 1950 (4 works), 1951 (4 works), 1952 (4 works), 1953 (3 works) and 1954 (6 works)
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Annual Exhibition, 1861-1951
1904 - 1952
Exhibited 24 times (an average of three work per show)
Exhibited at Franco-British Exhibition of Science, Art and Industries (London), 1908
1908
Exhibited at Palace of Arts Empire Exhibition Scotland, 1938
1938
Exhibition committee member for The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Ninety-Seventh, 1923
1923
Convenor
Institutional and Business Connections
Adjudicated on a panel at The Edinburgh College of Art
1910 - 1926
p. 6
Served on the adjudication committee for the Award of Diplomas (Sculpture Dept)
Associate member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1923 - 1926 (Presumed)
Became fellow in 1926.
Elected ARSA The Royal Scottish Academy
1906
p. xxx
Elected RSA The Royal Scottish Academy
1923
p. xxx
Fellow of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1926 - 1952
Retired in 1952.
Fellow of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1926 - 1952 (Presumed)
Retired in 1952.
Member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1907 - 1952
Retired in 1952.
Member of The Scottish Modern Arts Association
1936 (Circa)
p. 22
Member of council Royal Society of British Sculptors
1933 - May 1935
Resigned his position owing to illness in his family
Professor of sculpture at The Edinburgh College of Art
1907 - 1929 (Circa)
Head of Sculpture
Teacher of sculpture at The Edinburgh College of Art
1925 (Circa)
p. 4
Instuctor in Bronze Casting
Personal and Professional Connections
Nominated by James Pittendrigh MacGillivray
5 November 1906
For memebership of Royal Society of British Sculptors.
Nominator of David Alexander Francis
1920
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors
Seconded by Edouard Lanteri
5 November 1906
For memebership of Royal Society of British Sculptors.
Taught Fanindra Nath Bose
1908 (Circa) - 1911 (Circa)
Of his former pupil, Portsmouth wrote in Boses' obituary "Bose excelled in small sculpture; he had a phenomenal control of minutia. It was most interesting to watch his beautiful hands manipulate his tools, he was an exquisite craftsman, a true artist, showing delicacy and taste in everything he did"
Taught George Henry Paulin
1908 (Circa) - 1910 (Circa)
Taught Phyllis Mary Bone
1912 - 1918
Descriptions of Practice
Listed as medallist 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 VIII, 1930 Biographical Dictionary of Medallists
Listed as a sculptor and medallist 'residing in Edinburgh'. Forrer notes that the artist exhibited a bronze medallion entitled 'In Menoriam' at the Royal Academy, London, in 1912. See vol. 8, (1930), p. 143.
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
'Art Student'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
'Fitter Biscuit Factory' worker and his father, Robert John Portsmouth (born c.1850 in Southampton) was a 'Smith Biscuit Factory' worker
Sources
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Eighteenth Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1923
November 1923
p. 42
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Nineteenth Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1926
November 1926
p. 83
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Seventeenth Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1921
November 1921
p. 48
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Twenty-first Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1931
November 1931
p. 57
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Twenty-second Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1933
November 1933
p. 79
Catalogue of the Fine Art Section,
Franco-British Exhibition,
London, 1908
1908
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2005
RG13 piece 75 folio 51 page 10
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
2006
Name: Percival Herbert Portsmouth
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1874
Registration district: Wokingham
Inferred County: Berkshire
Volume: 2c
Page: 397
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
2010
Name: Percival Herbert Portsmouth
Probate Date: 10 Sep 1954
Death Date: 29 Oct 1953
Death Place: Hertfordshire, England
Registry: Peterborough
List of Members: Royal Society of British Sculptors
2008
London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921
2010
Name: Percival Herbert Portsmouth
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1874
Age: 29
Spouse Name: Kate Emma Pope
Spouse Age: 31
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 13 Apr 1903
Parish: South Lambeth St Stephen
Borough: Lambeth
Father Name: Robert John Portsmouth
Spouse Father Name: John Pope
Register Type: Parish Register
London Metropolitan Archives, Saint Stephen, South Lambeth, Register of marriages, P85/STE, Item 011.
Ninety-Ninth Annual Report of the Council of The Royal Scottish Academy, 1926
1926
p. 15
Palace of Arts
Empire Exhibition
Scotland
1938
The Fine Art Section of the Empire Exhibition
1938
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Minutes of Council Meetings No. 1, 1905-1913
19 May 1913
5 November 1906.
The Edinburgh College of Art Report by the Board of Management for the session 1908 -1909
1909
p. 11
The Edinburgh College of Art Report by the Board of Management for the session 1909 -1910
1910
p. 6
Served on the adjudication committee for the Award of Diplomas (Sculpture Dept)
The Edinburgh College of Art Report by the Board of Management for the session 1920 -1921
1921
p. 6
The Edinburgh College of Art Report by the Board of Management for the session 1925-1926
1926
p. 4
The Ninety-Sixth Annual Report of the Council of The Royal Scottish Academy, 1923
1923
p. 9
Citing this record
'Percival (Percy) Herbert Portsmouth RSA', 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=msib6_1208857104, accessed 25 Sep 2023]