Philip Norman
Encyclopedia
Philip E Norman FSA was a British
artist, author and antiquary.
, he was the son of George Warde Norman (1793-1882) and brother of Frederick Henry Norman
, the merchant banker.
He was educated at Eton College
where he was a notable cricketer, and where, at the age of 17, he won the 120 yards hurdle
race in the then record time of 18 seconds. He was later to play one season of first-class cricket
in 1865 with the Gentlemen of Kent.
He was trained as a draughtsman and painter in watercolours at the Slade School, often exhibiting at the Royal Academy
. A large part of his work consisted of depicting parts of London
that he knew, particularly buildings or areas which stood as a survivor of a bygone past or which were about to be demolished. Norman also recorded the history of the buildings which he painted or photographed, and works such as "London Vanished and Vanishing", written in 1905, provide a fascinating record of bygone London. The historian Hermione Hobhouse has described Norman as one-third of the "triumvirate" of key figures whose works record the topography of London between 1890 and 1950, the others being Walter Hindes Godfrey
and Percy Wells Lovell.
Norman was elected a Fellow
of the Society of Antiquaries
in 1886, acting as Treasurer from 1897 to 1913 and Vice-President from 1913 to 1917.
He died in 1931 in South Kensington
at the age of 88. His photographs are now held by the National Monuments Record and his watercolour paintings and drawings of London are kept by the [Victoria and Albert
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
artist, author and antiquary.
Biography
Born in 1842 in BromleyBromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, he was the son of George Warde Norman (1793-1882) and brother of Frederick Henry Norman
Frederick Henry Norman
Frederick Henry Norman was an English merchant banker and a director of the merchant bank Brown, Shipley & Co.. The Norman family have a long history in English banking....
, the merchant banker.
He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
where he was a notable cricketer, and where, at the age of 17, he won the 120 yards hurdle
Hurdle
A hurdle is a moveable section of light fence. Traditionally they were made from wattle , but modern hurdles are often made of metal. Hurdles are used for handling livestock, as decorative fencing, for horse racing and in the track and field event of hurdling.-Types:*Traditional hurdles are made...
race in the then record time of 18 seconds. He was later to play one season of first-class cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
in 1865 with the Gentlemen of Kent.
He was trained as a draughtsman and painter in watercolours at the Slade School, often exhibiting at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
. A large part of his work consisted of depicting parts of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
that he knew, particularly buildings or areas which stood as a survivor of a bygone past or which were about to be demolished. Norman also recorded the history of the buildings which he painted or photographed, and works such as "London Vanished and Vanishing", written in 1905, provide a fascinating record of bygone London. The historian Hermione Hobhouse has described Norman as one-third of the "triumvirate" of key figures whose works record the topography of London between 1890 and 1950, the others being Walter Hindes Godfrey
Walter Godfrey
Walter Hindes Godfrey CBE, FSA, FRIBA , was an English architect, antiquary, and architectural and topographical historian. He was also a landscape architect and designer, and an accomplished draftsman and illustrator...
and Percy Wells Lovell.
Norman was elected a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
in 1886, acting as Treasurer from 1897 to 1913 and Vice-President from 1913 to 1917.
He died in 1931 in South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
at the age of 88. His photographs are now held by the National Monuments Record and his watercolour paintings and drawings of London are kept by the [Victoria and Albert
Selected works
- "London Signs and Inscriptions", London: Elliot Stock, (1893)
- "London Buildings Photographed, 1860-1870", London Topographical Record II, (1903)
- "London Vanished and Vanishing", London: Adam & Charles Black, (1905)
- "Survey of London", London County Council, (1909)
- "Cromwell House Highgate: Its history and associations", London: John Murray, (1917)
- "The London City Churches", London: The London Society, (1929)