Felix Slade facts for kids
Felix Joseph Slade (born August 6, 1788 – died March 29, 1868) was an important English lawyer and a big collector of art. He loved collecting old glass, rare books, and interesting prints. He was also a philanthropist, which means he gave a lot of money to good causes.
Contents
Who Was Felix Slade?
Felix Slade came from a wealthy family. His father, Robert Slade, was a landowner and a lawyer in London. Felix inherited a lot of money from his father. This wealth allowed him to buy many beautiful books and prints.
He lived with his brother, Henry, in their family home in London. Together, they built up a very valuable collection of historical glass.
His Amazing Collections
Felix Slade was known for his incredible collections. He collected:
- Glass: He had a huge collection of historical glass. He even wrote detailed books about his glass collection.
- Books: His book collection was also very special. It included many rare books from the 1500s, 1600s, and 1700s. These books showed different styles of bookbinding from England, France, and Italy.
- Prints: He also collected many interesting prints.
A Gift to the Nation
When Felix Slade passed away, he was unmarried and left a large fortune. He decided to give most of his amazing art collection to the British Museum. His valuable books are now kept at the British Library.
Helping Art Education
Felix Slade is perhaps best known for his generous gifts to art education. He set aside a large sum of money, about £35,000, to create special art teaching positions. These positions are called Slade Professorships.
The Slade Professorships
These important teaching roles were set up at three famous universities:
The professors who hold these positions give special talks called Slade Lectures. These lectures are about the history of art and are very famous. They are often published as books.
The Slade School of Art
At University College London, Felix Slade also gave money for six art scholarships for students. This gift was the start of the famous Slade School of Art, which opened in 1871. The director of this art school also holds a Slade Professorship.
His gifts also helped to start the Ruskin School of Drawing in Oxford. This shows how much Felix Slade cared about art and wanted to help young artists learn and grow.
