Erica O'Donnell facts for kids

Erica O'Donnell (born March 11, 1920 – died March 12, 1999) was an important Irish art historian. She also worked as an officer for a secret organization during World War II. Later, she started a special study center at the Courtauld Institute for learning about art history.

Early Life and Education

Erica Marie-Josèphe O'Donnell was born in Dublin, Ireland, on March 11, 1920. She was the only child of Eric Hugh and Mary Mabel Elizabeth O'Donnell. Her father was a British army officer who fought bravely in World War I.

Erica went to St. Mary's Convent school in Ascot, England, from 1929 to 1935. After that, she decided to study art history. She joined the Courtauld Institute in 1937. During her studies, she traveled a lot. She lived in Paris, France, and Salzburg, Austria. She also visited Germany.

When World War II began, she returned to England. Because she spoke German and French fluently, she got a job with the BBC. She worked for their overseas service, which broadcasted news to other countries.

Secret Work During World War II

Erica O'Donnell's language skills and knowledge of Europe were very useful. She was recruited by MI5, which is a British intelligence agency. In September 1940, she joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE). This was a secret British organization that carried out missions in enemy-occupied countries.

Erica became an officer in the SOE. She was in charge of training agents from Czechoslovakia. She also worked with other government departments involved in the war. In March 1944, she moved to the French section of the SOE. Here, she helped the headquarters of the French Forces of the Interior, a resistance group.

Some reports said she parachuted into German-held areas. However, her official SOE records do not confirm this. In December 1944, she left the SOE. She then worked with the Red Cross. Her job was to help people who had survived concentration camps.

Later Career and Art Studies

After the war, Erica worked at the British embassy in Paris. In 1948, she returned to England to continue her art studies at the Courtauld Institute. She became a member of the Special Forces Club in London. This club was for people who had worked in special operations during the war. She became friends with many important people, including famous art historians like Ernst Gombrich. She also helped Anthony Blunt organize drawings in the Royal Collection.

Erica noticed that no university offered a course that covered all types of fine and decorative arts. With support from Sir Trenchard Cox of the Victoria and Albert Museum, she decided to create one. She designed a course for people who wanted to work in museums or as auctioneers. It was also for art students and those who owned historic homes.

The course was held at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Erica invited experts from the Courtauld Institute and the museum to teach. People often called it the "V. & A. course." From these beginnings, Erica founded the Study Centre for the History of the Fine and Decorative Arts in 1964.

The course was very popular. Many more people applied than there were places. This high demand led other universities to start similar art history courses. Helena Hayward later helped Erica run the course. Erica, Helena, and Harriet Bridgeman also wrote books about fine art. Some students who graduated from Erica's course became well-known, including Giles Waterfield and Timothy Schroder.

In 1990, Erica O'Donnell received an MBE award. This honor recognized her great service to the Study Centre. She retired as its director in the same year. In 1958, she had married Józef Kisielewski, a historian and writer from Poland. They had two sons. Erica O'Donnell passed away in London on March 12, 1999.

Her papers, which include information about her and the Study Centre from 1955 to 1975, are kept at The National Archives in Kew, England.