Alec (Alexander) Miller
Born 1879
Died 17 May 1961
Active: 1902 - 1950
Country of birth: Scotland
Country of death: United States
Sculptor, carver, guildsman
Born in Glasgow, he was the son of a cabinetmaker, William Miller, born c.1847. At the age of 12, Alec began an apprenticeship to the woodcarver Miss C. P Anstruther (Mrs Mackay), and then to the Kyrle Society. In 1902, Alec met C.R. Ashbee, who offered him the position of head of modelling and woodcarving at the Guild of Handicraft.
In about 1929, Miller moved to the USA where he lectured on art and literature, and also published several books. These included: 'Stone and Marble Carving', 1948 and 'Tradition in Sculpture', 1949. He also wrote an unpublished account of 'C.R Ashbee and the Guild of Handicraft' drawing on his his experiences of living and working as a Guildsman in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire.
A biography by Graham Peel entitled 'Alec Miller Carver Guildsman Sculptor' was published in 2013 with 296 pp and over 300 illustrations. It costs £14 plus £3 postage and packing and may be obtained by sending a cheque for £17 made payable to 'Graham Peel' to this address: Graham Peel, Glenville, Berrington Rd, Tenbury Wells, Worcs, UK. WR15 8EL.
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.
Copper, gold and enamel brooch with carbuncle
Madonna in plaster for Calne Church
Portrait Medallion carved in pearwood
Portrait bust
1921 (Circa)
Portrait relief
1923
Arthur Brampton, Esq.
1924 (Presumed)
Portrait
1924 (Presumed)
Relief Portrait
1925 (Presumed)
Jane
1925 (Presumed)
Michael Woodroofe
1926 (Presumed)
Charmion
1926 (Presumed)
Portrait Bust
May 1933 (Presumed)
The Sphinx
1938
Locations
Address Saviour's Bank Campden England | View on map
1926 (Presumed)
Studio located at The Studio Chipping Campden Gloucester England | View on map
1903 (Circa) - 1933 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: Ninth Exhibition, 1910
Multiple works
Exhibited at Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: Eleventh Exhibition, 1916
'Portrait Medallion carved in pearwood'
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1924
'Arthur Brampton, Esq.'
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1925
'Relief Portrait'
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1926
Multiple works
Exhibited at Royal Society of Artists Birmingham, The Spring Exhibition, 1933
'Portrait Bust'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Ninety-Fifth, 1921
'Portrait bust'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Ninety-Seventh, 1923
Multiple works
Exhibited at Photography versus Draughtmanship (Art Workers Guild), 1938
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1921 - 1935
Exhibited 10 times (an average of one work per show).
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Annual Exhibition, 1861-1951
1921 - 1933
Exhibited 3 times (an average of two works per show)
Exhibited at The Royal Scottish Academy Exhibition, 1826-
1921 - 1923
Exhibited at the annual exhibition 2 times: 1921 (1 work) and 1923 (1 work)
Exhibited at The Seventy-Ninth Annual Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy, 1924
1924
Exhibited at Palace of Arts Empire Exhibition Scotland, 1938
1938
Participant in Art Workers Guild Revels, 1939
Speaker at Rodin (Art Workers Guild), 1927
Speaker at A Sculptor's View of History (Art Workers Guild), 1928
Speaker at Ruskin Reconsidered (Art Workers Guild), 1929
Speaker at Animals in Art (Art Workers Guild), 1929
Speaker at Wood as a Sculptors' Medium (Art Workers Guild), 1931
Speaker at Sculpture, Carved and Modelled (Art Workers Guild), 1933
Speaker at Psychology of Art (Art Workers Guild), 1933
Speaker at The Functions of Art Criticism (Art Workers Guild), 1934
Speaker at Is there a Philosophy of Art? (Art Workers Guild), 1934
Speaker at The Beauty of Horse-drawn Vehicles (Art Workers Guild), 1934
Speaker at The Architect's Contribution to the Thought of His Times (Art Workers Guild), 1934
Speaker at American Sculpture (Art Workers Guild), 1935
Speaker at Artistic Collapse in the Reign of Victoria (Art Workers Guild), 1935
Speaker at Pre-Raphaelite Sculptors (Art Workers Guild), 1937
Speaker at Scotland's Contribution to the Arts (Art Workers Guild), 1938
Speaker at Reproductive Wood Engravers from the Sixties to the Nineties (Art Workers Guild), 1938
Speaker at Comparative Sculpture (Art Workers Guild), 1938
Speaker at C. R. Ashbee and the Guild of Handicrafts (Art Workers Guild), 1949
Institutional and Business Connections
Member of Art Workers Guild
1925
Not certain whether he left the Guild or retained his membership when he moved to the USA c.1929
Personal and Professional Connections
Brother/sibling of Alfred A. Miller
Collaborated with W. Mark
Influenced by George Frederic Watts
1898 (Circa)
Miller visited Watts studio when he first arrived in London, which made a great impression on him, especially the monumental statue 'Physical Energy'.
Worked with Charles Robert Ashbee
1902 - 1924 (Circa)
Head of Modelling and woodcarving divison.
Sources
1901 Scotland Census
2007
Parish: Glasgow Barony; ED: 6; Page: 23; Line: 18; Roll CSSCT1901_297
Alec Miller, Guildsman and Sculptor in Chipping Campden
1998
pp. 7-50
Art Workers Guild Annual Reports, 1913-1933
1927, p.6; 1928, p.7; 1929, pp.5-6, p.9; 1931, p.8; 1933, p.9, p.12.
Arts and Crafts Society: Catalogue of the Ninth Exhibition.
1910
p.82, p.138, pp.145-146, p.163.
Catalogue for the Seventy-Ninth Annual Exhibition of the Royal West of England Academy, 1924
1924
Palace of Arts
Empire Exhibition
Scotland
1938
The Fine Art Section of the Empire Exhibition
1938
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1924
1924
p. 32.
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1925
1925
pp. 15, 25
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham Spring Exhibition, 1926
1926
p. 22.
Royal Society of Artists Birmingham. The Spring Exhibition, 1933
1933
p. 16.
The fifty-fifth annual report of the committee of the Art-Workers' Guild, 1939
1939
pp.10-12.
The fifty-first annual report of the committee of the Art-Workers' Guild, 1935
1935
pp.11-12, p.15.
The fifty-fourth annual report of the committee of the Art-Workers' Guild, 1938
1938
p.15.
The fifty-second annual report of the committee of the Art-Workers' Guild, 1936
1936
p.9, p.13.
The fifty-sixth annual report of the committee of the Art-Workers' Guild, 1940
1940
p.7.
The sixty-sixth annual report of the committee of the Art-Workers' Guild, 1950
1950
p.9.
Citing this record
'Alec (Alexander) Miller', 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_1232987006, accessed 29 Sep 2023]
