Glasgow - City of Sculpture
By Gary Nisbet
Henry Poole
(1873-1928)

Born in Westminster, London, into a family of masons (his father and grandfather worked on churches by William Butterfield and on the restoration of Westminster Abbey). He trained at Lambeth School of Art, 1888, and at the RA Schools, 1892-7, before serving apprenticeships with Harry Bates and George Frederick Watts.

He assisted both with two of their finest works: Bates’ Lord Roberts Memorial in Calcutta (1894-8), and Watts' Cecil Rhodes Memorial in the Mopoto Hills, Bulawayo, and its copy, Physical Energy, in Kensington Gardens, London.

Becoming a prolific architectural sculptor he produced much of his finest work for the architects Lanchester & Rickards, executing the sculpture on their Cardiff City Halls (1897); West Ham and Deptford Town Halls (1903); and Rotherhithe Town Hall. He also executed a porcelain figure for the façade of their Colnaghi and Obach Gallery, Bond Street, London (1912-13).

In 1916, he became re-associated with the Lord Roberts Memorial when he was invited by Lady Roberts and Bates’ widow to execute a copy of the original as Glasgow’s memorial to the Field Marshal (the monument's pedestal had earlier been designed by Rickards).

Poole's copy of Glasgow's Lord Roberts Memorial is now regarded as one of the finest equestrian statues in Britain. He produced a further copy of the Roberts Memorial for London's Horse Guards Parade, although with a much simpler pedestal, in 1924.

He also worked with Rickards on the public monuments to King Edward VII in Bristol (1913) and the World War I air ace Captain Albert Ball VC in Nottingham (1918).

He exhibited ideal work and portraits at the RA , 1912 and 1927, and was elected ARA , 1920, and RA , 1927; his diploma work being Young Pan. A member of the Art Workers’ Guild, he was a Trustee of the National Portrait Gallery in London and Master of Sculpture at the RA Schools.

Sources:

 
Works in our Database:
#203 1: Kelvingrove Park (West End),
Kelvingrove Park
Monument to Field Marshal Earl Roberts (1915-16)
Sculptors: H Bates (modeller); prepared for casting by EA Rickards assisted by H Poole;
Foundry: JW Singer & Sons
 
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