Key Information
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- c1966-1981 (Creation)
Level of description
Folder
Extent
25 folders
Content and Structure
Scope and content
General, alphabetical, correspondence of Harry J Barnes, dating from c1966-1981. NB: A small amount of this correspondence in these folders is from Anthony Jones, Director of the Art School after Barnes. Jones appears to have carried on some of this correspondence on behalf of Barnes, as his successor. Includes correspondence with: 'Age Concern Scotland', about education for older people; T R Annan and Sons Ltd, about a picture book; The Architectural Association about a Mackintosh exhibition; Anderson, Fyfe, Stewart & Young, about the sale of a property near Renfrew Street; the Marquess of Bute; Bute Fabrics about a furniture design competition; Councillor Buchan of Strathclyde Regional Council; Douglas P Bliss about lectures he has delivered; Professor Sam Black from the University of British Columbia; British Chamber of Commerce in Spain, about an exchange of information with the Centro de Altos Estudios FAE; the Bishop of Argyll and the Isles about drawings of the ruins of Iona; the Burgh of Bishopbriggs, about the former home of Thomas Muir; the Citizens' Theatre; Caledonian Estates about School property; Angela Catlin, Glasow College of Building and Printing; the Crafts Council; Mrs J Cooke about Joan Eardley's easel; Emilio Coia about an STV calendar; the City and Guilds of London Insitute; the Countryside Commission for Scotland; Douglas Cockerell & Son about taking on an apprentice for their book repairs; the Council for Educational Technology; David Donaldson about a portrait of Harry Barnes; the Society of Designer-Craftsmen; the Danish Institute; the Glasgow Herald about stories and competitions; Garnethill Community Council about a research and photography project; the City of Glasgow Council about various local matters; the Friends of Glasgow Cathedral about the Robert Love bequest; the Glasgow Building Guardians Committee; Glasgow Arts Centres about the Artist in Residence; Glasgow International Arts Enterprises; the Gulbenkian Foundation and awards; John Gainsborough about a 'Coldstream Report' written by Barnes; Ian Hepburn about marketing student products; the Historic Buildings Council for Scotland; Highlands and Islands Development Board about a Craft Training Centre; the Japanese Embassy about Mackintosh; Michael Kelly, Lord Provost of Glasgow; The Lincolnshire Association, about a mobile exhibition service; the Lord Lyon about a vacancy for a Herald-Painter; correspondence about the St Mungo Prize; the National Gallery of Scotland about exhibitions; correspondence about Napier College proposed photography course; Paisley College of Technology; the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama; the Royal Dublin Society; the Royal Scottish Museum about Persian pottery; the Honourable Georgina Stonor, about a Mackintosh designed piano; the Earl of Snowdon; the Scottish College of Textiles; the Scottish Institute of Adult Education; the Third Eye Centre about seminars. Folders as follows: DIR/13/1/2/4/1: Correspondence 'A', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/2: Correspondence 'B', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/3: Correspondence 'C', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/4: Correspondence 'D', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/5: [Correspondence 'E', wanting] DIR/13/1/2/4/6: [Correspondence 'F', wanting] DIR/13/1/2/4/7: Correspondence 'G', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/8: Correspondence 'H', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/9: [Correspondence 'I', wanting] DIR/13/1/2/4/10: Correspondence 'J', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/11: Correspondence 'K', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/12: Correspondence 'L', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/13: Correspondence 'M', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/14: Correspondence 'Mc', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/15: Correspondence 'N', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/16: [Correspondence 'O', wanting] DIR/13/1/2/4/17: Correspondence 'P', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/18: Correspondence 'Q', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/19: Correspondence 'R', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/20: 'Robertson RWKC', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/21: Correspondence 'S', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/22: Correspondence 'T', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/23: Correspondence 'U', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/24: Correspondence 'V', c1966-1981 DIR/13/1/2/4/25: Correspondence 'W, X, Y, Z', c1966-1981
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
Spaces have been left in the reference number system for folders for 'E', 'F', 'I', and 'O' as these may yet be found.
System of arrangement
Arranged chronologically
General Information
Name of creator
Biographical history
Anthony Jones is an internationally known arts administrator, broadcaster, writer, and historian of art and design. He is Chancellor of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He was born in Great Britain, and educated there and in the U.S. Among several CEO positions he served as the Director of the Glasgow School of Art (1980-1986), and was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as Director of the Royal College of Art, London (1992-1996). Professor Jones has published several books and many essays on art and design, curated numerous exhibitions, and has hosted several television series for the BBC in Great Britain. He is a recognized authority on the development of art, design and architecture of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, in particular the work of architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and Celtic Revival designer Archibald Knox. He is honorary Director of the Osaka University of the Arts, Honorary Professor of the University of Wales, was conferred the Austrian Cross for services to European education, and is a Fulbright Scholar. He has been awarded four Honorary Doctorates, was made an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects, is the Senior Fellow of the Royal College of Art, London, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and received the Award of Distinction of the American National Council of Arts Administrators.
Name of creator
Biographical history
Harry Jefferson Barnes was born on 3 April 1915 and grew up in Sheffield where his father was a professor at the University. He was educated at Repton School and went on to study at the Slade under Randolph Schwabe. He took the Diploma in Fine Art and was awarded a post-graduate scholarship which he used to study Stage Design. Barnes then spent the greater part of 1937-1938 travelling in Europe studying the teaching of art and this culminated in a report on the teaching of art in primary schools.
After teaching for some years in secondary schools, Barnes took up duties as Assistant Master in Painting & Drawing at Glasgow School of Art on 4 January 1944. In 1946, on the retirement of Henry Alison and with Douglas Bliss taking up the Directorship, Barnes was promoted to Deputy Director and Registrar, a newly created post.
He was appointed Director when Bliss retired in 1964 and oversaw many developments. One of his major achievements was the setting up of the Mackintosh School of Architecture in 1965 in collaboration with Sir Charles Wilson at the University of Glasgow. Another achievement was the lease of buildings at Culzean Castle for the use of the School. Throughout the seventies students and staff stayed for a week at a time to study and be inspired by the natural environment. He oversaw massive extension at Renfrew Street with the building of the Foulis Building, the Newbery Tower and the laying of the foundations of the Bourdon Building.
Barnes' time as Director was one of significant academic development, which paved the way to the present workings of the School. For example in 1978 the old Diploma courses were replaced by Degree courses. His own personal interest in stage design was shown in the part he played in promoting and managing many of the student's plays at Glasgow School of Art. He was also a set designer for the Glasgow Grand Opera Society.
During the fifties and the sixties, interests in Scotland gravitated to the crafts and Barnes was involved in the creation of the Scottish Crafts Centre Edinburgh and was appointed Convener of the Panel of Assessors who judged the work submitted to the Centre. He also represented the Scottish Crafts Centre as a member of the Joint Crafts Committee. He was then invited by the Secretary of State to be a member of the Consultative Curriculum for six years and, arising out of this, was invited to act as Chairman for the Working Party looking at the teaching of art in secondary schools. The Report from this, Curriculum No. 9, was published.
Barnes was influential in setting up the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society, of which he was Chairman for many years. In conjunction with John Noble, Barnes acquired the Edinburgh Tapestry Company in 1955 at The Dovecot Studios and assisted in running it. Barnes also served on the Saltire Society and the National Trust and was on the board of the Citizens Theatre. He received an honorary MA from the University of Glasgow in 1966 and an honorary LLD from the same university in 1980. He had been appointed CBE in 1971 and was knighted in 1980.
Barnes had a personal and proffessional friendship with Randolph Schwabe, whom he studied under at the Slade, and who recommended him for the post of Assistant Master in Painting and Drawing at Glasgow School of Art. He married Schwabe's daughter Alice in 1941. Barnes retired from Glasgow School of Art in 1980 to his home in Argyll. He died on 31 May 1982 after a long illness.