PRE-HISTORIC ART

Evening Star, Issue 20151, 16 April 1929, Page 11

PRE-HISTORIC ART

DEATH OF SIR HERCULES READ COUSIN OF SIR ROBERT STOUT “ By tlic deatli of Sir Hercules Read, which took place at Rapallo (Northern i Italy) hist week, at the age of .seventyone, the world loses one of its most illustrious ornaments,” says the London ‘ Times ’ (weekly edition) of Fcb- ; niary 21, ,iust to hand. ‘‘ Few connoisseurs of recent times have possessed a knowledge at once so wide and so accurate, Doth of European art of the -Middle Ages and tho Renaissance and of Far Eastern art in many of its branches. It must not, however, bo implied that ho was only an expert in the art of two continents, or in that of a limited number of countries. He was a first-rate authority on prehistoric art, especially, but by no moans exclusively, that of the British Islands, and on the ethnography of many parts ot the world.” Sir Hercules Head, who was a second cousin .nice removed of New Zealand's ex-Chief Justice (the Right Hon. Sir o’oort Stout, M.L.C.), visited this dominion some two years ago, and stayed for a month or so in Wellington. ‘‘ No man,” stated Sir Robert Stout, in Wellington, “ knew more about Maori antiquities than Road. Dr Buck, who visited him in London, and saw (hero his Maori collection, which included several relics of Captain Cook, told me that ho had met no man who hail a knowledge of Maori art and Maori affairs equal to Read's,” Bora on July C, 1357. and educated by his grandmother, Elizabeth Stout, i one of the, most learned women of her i day, Charles Hercules Read became an assistant in the Department of Anti- : quities.at the British Museum in 1880. 1 There ho was the pupil, friend, and admirer of that great antiquary and generous benefactor of tho museum, Sir Auguston Wollaston Era”ks, the first cwje - . oi the mod a va. i.'apartment when it was im.ti.nCd in If. '3. On the retire mat J l>ranks in 18, J, Read sue cecded him as Keener; on the death of Franks ho found himself his executor and residuary legatee, ami he contributed the biography of his predccessoi to the host supplement of tho ‘Dictionary of National Biography.’ Rend was not himself, like Franks, a. wealthy man; but his good looks, good manners, and personal charm made him everywhere welcome in the society of rich collectors, who profited by Ids advice and showed their gratitude by gifts to the museum. His activity, however, was by no means confined within the walls of the museum. A good linguist and a great traveller, lie was well known on tho Continent, and could preside with the same grace over a section of an inter- i national congress as over a committee 1 meeting in London. Read also took ! the keenest, interest in the Society of Antiquaries, of which he was secretary . f rom 1892 to 1908. and twice president, | from 1908 to. 1914, and again from | 191 S) to 1924. On receiving the honour of knighthood in 1912, Read elected to ho I known as ‘‘Sir Hercules.” Among other honours, he nas president of tho Anthropological Section of the British Association in 1599; president of the | Royal Anthropological Institute of 1 Great Britain and Ireland, from 1809 to 1901, and from 1917 to 1919, president of the India Society; ho received , the degree of LL.D. from St. Andrew's University in 1903; was also an LL.D. j ot Cambridge University, and became in 1913 a Follow of tho British Aca- I demy. _ In addition, he received numc- ! runs distinctions from academies and learned societies in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, and the United States. He was a trustee of Sir John Soane’s Museum, and a member of tho Society of Dilettanti and of the Society ol Gentlemen of Spalding. |