Obituary of Sir Cecil Harcourt Smith KCVO

From The Times, 29 March 1944

Sir Cecil Harcourt-Smith K.C.V.O., who died at Stoatley, Bramley, Surrey on March 27, combined a wide knowledge of art and archaeology with exceptional gifts of administration. For these gifts he found scope as director of the British School at Athens, and still more in the reorganizing of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Cecil Harcourt-Smith, the son of William Smith, solicitor, was born on September 11 1859. He went to Winchester as a scholar in 1873 and in 1879 joined the department of Greek and Roman antiquities in the British Museum. There he became known as a rising archaeologist. In 1887 he was attached to a diplomatic mission to Persia, and about the same time he helped to found the 'Classical Review', which for some time he also edited. From 1895 to 1897 he was granted special leave to take up the directorship of the British School at Athens, which had just received an annual grant from the Treasury. He greatly enhanced the prestige of the school, and instituted its 'Annual'. He began, too, the school's excavations in the island of Melos, which proved of such importance for our knowledge of the Aegean civilization.

In 1904 he succeeded Dr. A. S. Murray as Keeper of his department in the British Museum. A new turn, however, was preparing for his career. In 1908 he became chairman of the commission of the Victoria and Albert Museum and drafted its report. This was so highly approved of that he was offered the post of director and secretary under the new organization, and in 1909 he accepted the appointment. The new building just completed gave scope for a more orderly display of the collections; the administration of the museum and its staff was set upon more modern lines, and the objects were grouped according to their material rather than, as in many great museums, by nationality or period.

During the 16 years Harcourt-Smith presided over its fortunes the Victoria and Albert Museum prospered and many improvements were introduced, He secured for the technical staff the same status as regards rank and pay as the officials of the British Museum. Students' rooms were added to all departments, and a steady stream of catalogues and guides was begun. Official guide lecturers were instituted and special exhibitions such as the Franco-British Exhibition of 1921 were organized with great success. The wonderful Salting collection, the Rodin sculptures (now transferred to the Tate Gallery), the Talbot Hughes collection of costumes, the Alma Tadema library, the Le Blon Korean pottery, the Pierpoint Morgan stained glass, and a large number of individual pieces of great beauty and rarity came into the museum during his directorship.

In addition to his museum work Harcourt-Smith's tact and organizing ability were called upon to help in many art exhibitions at home and abroad. He took a leading part in the foundation of the Central Committee for the Care of Churches. He was formerly chairman of the committee of the Incorporated Church Building Society and president of the Society of Civil Servants. In 1924 he retired from the museum, but this was far from being an end to his activities. He became in 1925 adviser for the Royal Art Collections and in 1928 Surveyor of the Royal Works of Art, a post which he held to the death of King George V. Further, he was much in request as chairman or on the committee at congresses connected with art or archaeology. On such occasions he was at his best, with his easy manner, handsome presence, polished speech, and knowledge of languages and of men. He was knighted in 1909, was made a C.V.O. in 1917; and was advanced to K.C. V.O. in 1934.

Harcourt-Smith produced a 'History of the Society of Dilettanti' of which he was honorary secretary, in 1932, and a popular work on the art treasures of the nation in 1929, and he wrote for The Times and the art magazines. He married in 1892 Alice Edith, daughter of Mr. H. W. Watson, of Burnopfield, Durham; she is as hostess was a great support to her husband in his official life. There were two sons of the marriage, and the elder, Simon Harcourt-Smith, is himself a writer on artistic and other subjects.

Issue 49817 © The Times 1944