Who are the Friends of the Whitworth?
Who are the Friends of the Whitworth?
Who are the Friends of the Whitworth?
Who are the Friends of the Whitworth?
As we make our way through the Covid19 Pandemic, we thought it was a good opportunity to introduce you to some of our Friends. Rather than presenting them with a blank sheet of paper, we decided to ask them some questions. We think they enjoyed answering them. We hope you enjoying reading their answers. Here is David Willars, the first in our series. David will be talking about Victorian Glass in Friends of the Whitworth webinar so look out for news about that soon.
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David Willars grew up in the remote parts of Norfolk before leaving home for university and settling eventually in Manchester. After retiring he took an MA, capitalising upon a long held interest in antique glass, more specifically Manchester's little known Victorian decorative glass industry. David is now co- chairman of the Glass Society which aims to further interest in all forms of glass.
Who would be your perfect dinner guest, and why?
Christopher Dresser was a late Victorian designer, and one of the first people to understand and promote the art of good design. He was a leading figure in the Aesthetic Movement and his influence covers textiles, both printed and woven, ceramics, metalwork, furniture and of course glass. He visited Japan, lectured in America and lists Liberty and Tiffany as among his customers. The Italian company Alessi still produce his toast rack design today. Dresser is relatively unknown, but increasingly recognised as a founding father of good design.
Stuck on a desert island, which book would you like to have with you?
Although I'm not a natural reader I recently discovered the writing of Neville Cardus, sometime cricket and music correspondent on the Manchester Guardian. His use of words and prose are astonishing and his autobiography is humbling. However, 'Down and Out in Paris and London' is one book among several by George Orwell that makes a statement.
Your house is on fire. Your family and pets are safe but you can only take on item with you as you make your escape. What would you save?
Many years ago my wife and I bought a very small oil painting by Adolphe Valette from the much lamented Tib Lane Gallery. More recent conversations revealed that the painting depicts Valette's house in central France. Duly enthused we have pursued this interest and had several holidays and developed a new circle of friends.
Anyway my glass would survive a normal house fire!
If you won millions on the Lottery, what would be your first purchase?
The security and future of our two daughters would come first. Should any money be left over a piece of glass by George Ravenscroft (1632-1683), the pioneer of modern lead crystal glass, would leave me content. One of his decanters is for sale currently!
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?
We used to have this type of discussion at work. Barcelona normally won because of its galleries, its climate, its proximity to the sea, good food and sporting connections.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
I prefer not to rest and reflect. When I discovered that Manchester had some of the best decorative glass factories in the country during the Victorian era, little was known about this industry. With the guidance and help of others our collective understanding and knowledge, has increased immeasurably. If I have contributed in small part to this , I'm happy.
What living person do you most admire and why?
Lech Walesa lead Poland and probably several other iron countries out of the grip of the USSR and towards freedom. Bill Gates grew a company to world dominance, and is now giving away his fortune. Remarkably, I have only ever known one monarch in the United Kingdom.
Anyone who has witnessed at first hand the transformation in China over the last forty years cannot but marvel at the achievement. Although this would be described as a collective effort there is increasing admiration for the way President Xi Jingping has overseen and managed this process.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Growing up in Norfolk, ambition was not something I dwelt upon. Having achieved the minimum requirement at A levels, university beckoned and I flourished in a more stimulating environment. Thereafter a seamless transition into manufacturing industry.
What is the worst job you have ever had?
Making people redundant is never easy, and anyone who enjoys the process must have a personality disorder. Behind every redundancy lies a family, a mortgage, car loans and credit card bills. Thinking of how many jobs you preserved is never the correct response, but it helps.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Never pre-judge people.
To whom would you like to say thank you and why?
There have been several managers who have encouraged and nurtured me. They gave me the freedom to follow my own instincts. I didn't always see it or appreciate it at the time, but in retrospect my gratitude is due.
Tell us your favourite Gallery, painting or artist-or all three!
I'm fortunate to have visited several outstanding galleries or museums: The Hermitage in St Petersburg, The Frick in New York and the Shanghai Museum. My favourite has to be The Gulbenkian in Lisbon for its stunning collection of jewellery created for Calouste Gullbenkian and Sarah Bernhardt by Rene Lalique. Lalique was an unequalled glass artist and jeweller and people gasp when they see his creations.
What do you miss most in this lockdown?
The freedom to act spontaneously. Of course I miss contact with other people, visiting relatives, friends, or walks by the sea. I also miss most forms of sport. And a haircut!
Where would you like to visit when we get back to “normal”?
I will probably book an early visit to Norfolk to see my mother, and London to see our younger daughter. I suspect that holidays in the UK will be the limit of our ambition this year, so Northumberland, The Lake District Peninsulas or even Scotland would come into consideration.
If you would like to give one piece of advice to the Friends of the Whitworth, what would it be?
Education is the starting point to most things in life and you never stop learning. Keep yourselves in front of people by offering an endless stream of talks, visits and meetings.
As we make our way through the Covid19 Pandemic, we thought it was a good opportunity to introduce you to some of our Friends. Rather than presenting them with a blank sheet of paper, we decided to ask them some questions. We think they enjoyed answering them. We hope you enjoying reading their answers. Here is David Willars, the first in our series. David will be talking about Victorian Glass in Friends of the Whitworth webinar so look out for news about that soon.
________________________________________________
David Willars grew up in the remote parts of Norfolk before leaving home for university and settling eventually in Manchester. After retiring he took an MA, capitalising upon a long held interest in antique glass, more specifically Manchester's little known Victorian decorative glass industry. David is now co- chairman of the Glass Society which aims to further interest in all forms of glass.
Who would be your perfect dinner guest, and why?
Christopher Dresser was a late Victorian designer, and one of the first people to understand and promote the art of good design. He was a leading figure in the Aesthetic Movement and his influence covers textiles, both printed and woven, ceramics, metalwork, furniture and of course glass. He visited Japan, lectured in America and lists Liberty and Tiffany as among his customers. The Italian company Alessi still produce his toast rack design today. Dresser is relatively unknown, but increasingly recognised as a founding father of good design.
Stuck on a desert island, which book would you like to have with you?
Although I'm not a natural reader I recently discovered the writing of Neville Cardus, sometime cricket and music correspondent on the Manchester Guardian. His use of words and prose are astonishing and his autobiography is humbling. However, 'Down and Out in Paris and London' is one book among several by George Orwell that makes a statement.
Your house is on fire. Your family and pets are safe but you can only take on item with you as you make your escape. What would you save?
Many years ago my wife and I bought a very small oil painting by Adolphe Valette from the much lamented Tib Lane Gallery. More recent conversations revealed that the painting depicts Valette's house in central France. Duly enthused we have pursued this interest and had several holidays and developed a new circle of friends.
Anyway my glass would survive a normal house fire!
If you won millions on the Lottery, what would be your first purchase?
The security and future of our two daughters would come first. Should any money be left over a piece of glass by George Ravenscroft (1632-1683), the pioneer of modern lead crystal glass, would leave me content. One of his decanters is for sale currently!
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?
We used to have this type of discussion at work. Barcelona normally won because of its galleries, its climate, its proximity to the sea, good food and sporting connections.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
I prefer not to rest and reflect. When I discovered that Manchester had some of the best decorative glass factories in the country during the Victorian era, little was known about this industry. With the guidance and help of others our collective understanding and knowledge, has increased immeasurably. If I have contributed in small part to this , I'm happy.
What living person do you most admire and why?
Lech Walesa lead Poland and probably several other iron countries out of the grip of the USSR and towards freedom. Bill Gates grew a company to world dominance, and is now giving away his fortune. Remarkably, I have only ever known one monarch in the United Kingdom.
Anyone who has witnessed at first hand the transformation in China over the last forty years cannot but marvel at the achievement. Although this would be described as a collective effort there is increasing admiration for the way President Xi Jingping has overseen and managed this process.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Growing up in Norfolk, ambition was not something I dwelt upon. Having achieved the minimum requirement at A levels, university beckoned and I flourished in a more stimulating environment. Thereafter a seamless transition into manufacturing industry.
What is the worst job you have ever had?
Making people redundant is never easy, and anyone who enjoys the process must have a personality disorder. Behind every redundancy lies a family, a mortgage, car loans and credit card bills. Thinking of how many jobs you preserved is never the correct response, but it helps.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Never pre-judge people.
To whom would you like to say thank you and why?
There have been several managers who have encouraged and nurtured me. They gave me the freedom to follow my own instincts. I didn't always see it or appreciate it at the time, but in retrospect my gratitude is due.
Tell us your favourite Gallery, painting or artist-or all three!
I'm fortunate to have visited several outstanding galleries or museums: The Hermitage in St Petersburg, The Frick in New York and the Shanghai Museum. My favourite has to be The Gulbenkian in Lisbon for its stunning collection of jewellery created for Calouste Gullbenkian and Sarah Bernhardt by Rene Lalique. Lalique was an unequalled glass artist and jeweller and people gasp when they see his creations.
What do you miss most in this lockdown?
The freedom to act spontaneously. Of course I miss contact with other people, visiting relatives, friends, or walks by the sea. I also miss most forms of sport. And a haircut!
Where would you like to visit when we get back to “normal”?
I will probably book an early visit to Norfolk to see my mother, and London to see our younger daughter. I suspect that holidays in the UK will be the limit of our ambition this year, so Northumberland, The Lake District Peninsulas or even Scotland would come into consideration.
If you would like to give one piece of advice to the Friends of the Whitworth, what would it be?
Education is the starting point to most things in life and you never stop learning. Keep yourselves in front of people by offering an endless stream of talks, visits and meetings.
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