Thomas Harrison Hair
Encyclopedia
Thomas Harrison Hair was a British artist most famous for depictions of industrial scenes in north-eastern England in the first half of the nineteenth century.
around 1810, the son of John Hair, a lamp-black maker and tanner from Scotswood, Newcastle upon Tyne. He probably trained in the workshops of Mark Lambert
(1781–1855), a Tyneside engraver and lithographer. Lambert had been assistant to Thomas Bewick (1753–1828), a famous wood engraver from Cherryburn
, Northumberland
. Hair went down to London in the late 1830s, and produced a body of work there, much of it referring to north-eastern England. He died in Newcastle on 11 August 1875 (not 1882 as stated by many biographies).
, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
.
Life
Hair was born in Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
around 1810, the son of John Hair, a lamp-black maker and tanner from Scotswood, Newcastle upon Tyne. He probably trained in the workshops of Mark Lambert
Mark Lambert
Mark Lambert may refer to:*Mark Lambert , born Mark Luebke, Broadway actor and singer*Mark Lambert , English rugby union player...
(1781–1855), a Tyneside engraver and lithographer. Lambert had been assistant to Thomas Bewick (1753–1828), a famous wood engraver from Cherryburn
Cherryburn
Cherryburn is a cottage in Mickley, Northumberland, England, which was the birthplace of Thomas Bewick, an English wood engraver and ornithologist. It was acquired by the National Trust in 1991 and is now open to the public.-External links:*...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
. Hair went down to London in the late 1830s, and produced a body of work there, much of it referring to north-eastern England. He died in Newcastle on 11 August 1875 (not 1882 as stated by many biographies).
Works
Most of Hair's work consists of general landscapes, especially scenes in the North East of England. His most notable work however is a set of etchings in Views of the Collieries ... of Northumberland and Durham (1844) giving rare insights into the visual impact of early nineteenth-century coal mining and other industrial activities. The main text of that work is an essay on the coal industry by M. Ross. The Views was an expanded version of Sketches of the Coal Mines in Northumberland and Durham (1839). The engravings in those works are based on watercolour sketches, many of which can be seen in the Hatton GalleryHatton Gallery
The Hatton Gallery is Newcastle University's art gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and is a part of the Great North Museum. It is based in the University's Fine Art Building.- History :...
, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle University is a major research-intensive university located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north-east of England. It was established as a School of Medicine and Surgery in 1834 and became the University of Newcastle upon Tyne by an Act of Parliament in August 1963. Newcastle University is...
.