Mr. Ivo Shaw [1882-1960]
To mark the end of a long and successful career the Staff and pupils of Queen’s College, Stourbridge presented an electric clock to Mr Ivo Shaw, of Taranski. Worcester Street, Stourbridge. [1959]. In his address Mr Johnson Ball [principal] said Mr Shaw had spent 55 years in art and craft teaching and he thought that this outstanding service to the profession should be marked by something more than a private presentation in the Staff Room. He had, therefore, invited the junior and senior schools to assemble to wish Mr Shaw many more years of happiness. Mr Shaw, who was born on July 7, 1882, had lived a very full, varied and highly successful life. Having reached the end of the road, he could, at the age of 78, look back with pardonable pride on his achievement and service, Mr Ball said. Mr Ball told the pupils of Mr Shaw’s military service and athletic achievements. During the 1914-18 war he was a member of the H.A.C. Royal Horse Artillery. He served in France and Belgium; passed as a rider through three cavalry schools – Larkhill, The Duke of Atholl’s Cupar Fife and Old Park, Canterbury. He played rugby and soccer and was along distance runner , running with the Yorkshire Harriers in 1900 and winning a six mile race gold medal in 1901. He rowed fours and eights in Lincoln crews for three years and rowed on the Thames for seven years. In 1899 he swam across Runswick Bay, a distance of three miles. The pupils were entranced by Mr Shaw’s account of his early experiences, including the period spent in London, where he saw all the best theatre productions and the art world of that time. His first efforts at silver-smithing were inspired by his visits to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The lead-work in the eGrande Place Brussels, encouraged him to work in lead. He lived for a time in Bruges, where he used to paint on the banks of the canal and where he saw the local coppersmiths at work. These craftsmen helped him enormously in his career, as he tried to emulate their work. It was an inspiration to do as well as they, and he went on to say that it was a pity that these old crafts were dying. He would like to have seen a school started for amateur craftsmen. His advice to the pupils was to work hard to succeed. In response to his wife receiving a bouquet of red rosebuds and trailing fern and he an electric clock, Mr Shaw added that he had always admired the organisation of the school, which he ranked as one of the best in which he had worked. Mr Shaw was a teacher in training at Huddersfield School of Art [1898-1904]; second master at Lincoln School of Art and Grammar School 1904-07; chief assistant L.C.C. Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts 1907-13; and Principal of Dudley School of Arts and Crafts 1913-1947. In retirement he served as Art Master at Oldswinford Hospital School 1947-1957, and at Queen’s College from 1954-1959. Mr Shaw came to Queen’s College at the end of his career and his beautiful blackboard work was a joy to behold. The pupils only saw the pictorial side of his art, however, the main part of his career was in teaching metalwork, woodwork, enamelling, jewellery and bookbinding. Mr Shaw was a lithographic artist and designer of book-bindings, doing work for the famous concern of Sangorski and Sudcliffe, Poland Street, London. In 1921, he designed the binding for First Edition of the Kelmscott Press, for Charles Sawyer, booksellers, Grafton Place, Bond Street, and this was sold subsequently in America for £1,500, and he designed similarly many of the finest jewelled bindings sold in America, France, Italy and Germany. He designed and made a silver casket for the Melbourne Museum, containing a small coffin made by sailors in the “Resolution” in 1789. In the coffin was a picture depicting the death of Captain Cook and a lock of the explorer’s hair, together with authentic letters written by Captain Cook to his wife, which were kept in a small drawer in the casket. Mr Shaw was also responsible for producing illuminated addresses to members of the Royal Family, high Officers of the Army, Navy and public corporations.
Pupils at Queen’s College [1954-1959] were indeed privileged, not only to have known such a renowned and successful craftsman and tutor, but to have been taught by him also.
Some of Mr. Shaw’s pupils reached high positions in the world of art: Percy Shakespeare became teacher and exhibitor at the Royal Academy and the Paris Salon; Percy Booker Cook – Art Director for the Daily Mail; D Sinclair – Principal of Worthing School of Art; A Garland – Principal of Lincoln School of Art; W Ritson – Principal of Torquay School of Art; J Row – Principal of St Martins Charing Cross School of Art; H Faulkner – Principal and Director to the County of Eastbourne; and J Whale - Art Director of the Hollywood Universal Films who helped produce such films as ‘Journey’s End‘ , ‘Waterloo Bridge’ , ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Hell’s Angels’.
Pupils at Queen’s College [1954-1959] were indeed privileged, not only to have known such a renowned and successful craftsman and tutor, but to have been taught by him also.
Some of Mr. Shaw’s pupils reached high positions in the world of art: Percy Shakespeare became teacher and exhibitor at the Royal Academy and the Paris Salon; Percy Booker Cook – Art Director for the Daily Mail; D Sinclair – Principal of Worthing School of Art; A Garland – Principal of Lincoln School of Art; W Ritson – Principal of Torquay School of Art; J Row – Principal of St Martins Charing Cross School of Art; H Faulkner – Principal and Director to the County of Eastbourne; and J Whale - Art Director of the Hollywood Universal Films who helped produce such films as ‘Journey’s End‘ , ‘Waterloo Bridge’ , ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Hell’s Angels’.