Catterson-Smith, Robert

Morris, W. Address delivered… on the 19th of February, 1879… Birmingham: Osborne, 1879 [bound with:] Address by William Morris.. in the Town Hall… 19th February 1880, contemporary calf, worn and lacking spine; Morris, W. An Address delivered... on the 21st of February, 1894. [Birmingham: Municipal School of Art, 1894], original wrappers, some minor loss to lower wrapper, together with a number of other printed addresses, some with annotations by Catterson-Smith--Booklets, pamphlets or trial gatherings printed under the direction of Leonard Jay at the Birmingham School of Printing, comprising 26 items, 1926-1929--Students' "Memory Drawings" or "Shut-Eye Drawings", 14 leaves--Prints relating to John Keats, 5 leaves together with letter of presentation, produced as exercises in the Figure Composition and Printing classes, 1921--Correspondence regarding Birmingham School of Art prizes, Catterson-Smith’s notes on competitors and their work--"Privileged Pass" card for Royal Academy of Arts Old Masters Exhibition, 1891, some spotting--Catalogue for LCC Central School of Arts, 1901--Collection of newspaper clippings (reviews of Drawing from Memory and Mind Picturing) together with letters from cutting agencies, 1921--together with other papers including arrangements for a talk (May 1915), honorary membership of The National Society of Art Masters, membership of the LCC Hammersmith School of Arts and Crafts, Board of Education Examinations in Art Examiner’s Reports for 1917 and 1918, galley proof of Catterson-Smith’s article on Birmingham Municipal School of Art, autograph copy of 'Head Master’s General Report on Council Schools', 1904, University of Birmingham Installation of the Chancellor Order of Proceedings, 1918 (qty)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In 1896 Catterson-Smith became a teacher of drawing and general design at the recently opened London County Council’s Central School of Arts and Crafts. As Ronald Sly notes in his memoir of Catterson-Smith, "the school… quickly became one of the foremost centres for craft education in Britain".  Within a few years of the beginning of the new century, Catterson-Smith had moved to Birmingham and took up an appointment as Headmaster of the Vittoria Street School for Jeweller and Silversmiths and then as Headmaster of the Central School of Art. As Sly notes "The Central School, regarded as the nucleus of Art education in the city, became the centre of Robert’s existence for the rest of his working life".