Papers of Henry Y. Alison, Interim Director of Glasgow School of Art, 1945-1946

Reference:GB 1694 GSAA/DIR/11
Dates of Creation:1945-1946
Name of Creator:
Language of Material:English
Physical Description:

Scope and Content
Includes: general correspondence 1945-1946; correspondence with Muir Murray, Secretary at Glasgow School of Art, April-August 1946; and miscellaneous correspondence May 1946.
Administrative / Biographical History
Henry Young Alison (1889-1972), brother of David Alison, was born on 21 September 1889 in Dysart, Fife. He was a figure and portrait painter and exhibited at the RSA from 1916-21.
He trained at GSA under Newbery from 1905-1912, studying drawing and painting and life classes under Artot, Huck and Greiffenhagen, and gained his Diploma in 1911. During the First World War he served in France but was captured and held as a POW. While imprisoned he was wounded in one eye and lost the sight of it (his wartime letters to the School survive in the Secretary and Treasurers' letters, 1914-1918). He joined the staff of GSA in 1927 as an assistant in the Drawing and Painting Classes, becoming Supervisor of the Evening School and the General Course in 1932. At Walton's resignation in 1945 he took over as Interin Director.
One important legacy he left to the school is the small staircase in the Library leading to the balcony floor. This was built by Alison and a janitor during the Easter vacation in 1946. He resigned in April 1946 when D.P. Bliss was appointed.
Arrangement
The material is arranged into series and then arranged chronologically.
Access Information
Directors' papers which are over 30 years old are available for public consultation. Permission from the director is needed for access to those less than 30 years old.
Appraisal Information
This material has been appraised in line with Glasgow School of Art Archives and Collections standard procedures.
Related Material
See also: DC 21 which contains his personal papers.