BIAD Hodgson Art History Collection

This collection contains files and papers produced by Frank Hodgson in his capacity as a teacher of Art and Design History. These files contain notes, bibliographies and chronological charts for all aspects of art, architectural and design history from Roman and Greek times, up to the modern twentieth century movements of the Bauhaus and Art Nouveau. The majority of his research though, focuses on the mid to late 19th century and specifically the work of William Morris and Sir Edward Burne Jones and the Art and Crafts Movement. The collection also includes three sets of prints produced by Hodgson that he used as a teaching aid for his students. These detail historical costume, decorative arts and patterns.

There are a small number of files that deal with students on the Diploma of Art and Design course in 1970-71, detailing their teaching and achievements.

Frank Hodgson (b.1902 approx.) started as a student at the Birmingham School of Art in 1929 at the age of just 17. He studied drawing and painting at the school for about four years and became a part-time teacher of Drawing at the School in November 1933. At first, he taught mainly on the evening courses - his specific area of interest and skill being in drawing anatomy/life drawing. In October 1938, he was made a full-time member of staff and took on responsibility as the Deputy Head of the Evening School, a post that he went on to hold for over 30 years.

Changes in Art Education meant that during the 1960s, although retaining his Evening School responsibilities, his position as a drawing teacher disappeared and so he moved into the teaching of Art History with specific responsibility for the teaching of Design. He retired in the early 1970s after 50 years of service to the School. He died in the early 1980s, and his family bequeathed his library to the University where it remains today in constant use.

There was no original order. The collection has been arranged into six series as follows:

• Print Collections;
• Indexes and Bibliographies;
• Diploma in Art and Design Teaching/Students 1970-71;
• Notes on Art, Architecture and Design;
• Notes from Specific Texts;
• Research on William Morris and Edward Burne Jones.

The Arts, Design and Media Archive at the Parkside Building is currently closed due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Please email any inquiries to adm-archives-request@bcu.ac.uk.

Due to the personal nature of some information held in the collection access to some files is restricted.

Acquired as a bequest or by donation from either Frank Hodgson himself or his family.

This description was compiled by Sian Everitt, Keeper of Archives.

A summary collection description and a detailed list of files within each series are available.

This collection was arranged and catalogued by Hazel Tatlow in January 2003.

The collection has been with the archive for over 20 years, although it is not known exactly whether it came to it as a bequest or by donation.