Notebooks, an address book and annotated dictionary belonging to Alfred Yockney

Eight autograph notebooks, one address book, and an annotated 'Dicken's Dictionary of the Thames from its Source'. The notebooks contain alphabetical lists of artists with biographical details and birth and death dates. Other notebooks contain a 'chronology of events during Thomas Gainsborough's life (1727-1788)'; 'a selective gazeteer of persons, places and events arranged by county'; a list of artists, exhibitions and gallery organisers; and a list of galleries, museums and societies.

Alfred Yockney (1878-1963) was primarily associated with West End picture galleries and art publishers throughout his career. However, in July 1916, he joined Wellington House and moved to the British War Memorials Committee as Secretary in February 1918. When the British Memorials Committee was dissolved he was transferrred to the Imperial War Museum on 1 January 1919 'to carry the erstwhile Museum of Information art memorial scheme to its conclusion'; his work being the supervision of the official artists and the organisation of the collection of works of art. He was appointed to the Museum's Art Sub-committee on 31 December 1919. However, Yockney soon tired of the endless battles with the Services committees at the Museum, and after successfully organising the National War Art Exhibition at the Royal Academy in December 1920, he resigned. Following his stint at the Museum, he returned to the commercial world first to Colnaghi's and then to Dunthorne's of Vigo Street; the print and etching gallery. As well as curating and writing articles for art periodicals, Yockney was also one of the directors of the Art Exhibitions Bureau; a precursor to the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts and the Arts Council.

OPEN

Presented by Alfred Yockney, 1960.

Further Yockney collection TGA 724.