Harrison Weir

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Harrison Weir 1889

Harrison William Weir (born May 5, 1824 in Lewes , East Sussex , † January 3, 1906 in Appledore , Kent ) was an artist in Victorian England . He is considered the founder of modern cat breeding and organized the first exhibition of cats in London in 1871 . Weir was the first author of numerous breed standards for pedigree cats emerging in the last quarter of the 19th century and the author of books on pedigree cats.

Life and family

Weir was born in the East Sussex town of Lewes in 1824. From 1837 to 1844 he learned the profession of copperplate engraver . After studying art, Harrison Weir lived as a freelance artist, writer and journalist. Weir lived in his house called Weirleigh in the town of Matfield, Kent . He died in England at the age of 82.

Weir as an artist and writer

Drawing from The poultry book by Harrison Weir, 1903
Drawing for the fairy tale The Three Bears ; from Joseph Cundalls : A Treasury of Pleasure Books for Young Children , 1850

Harrison Weir's artistic career began with a seven-year training as a copper engraver. In 1844 he enrolled at the Camberwell College of Arts in London as a student. Weir quickly made a name for himself as an artist, and just four years later a painting he exhibited at the British Institution attracted greater attention in the London art scene. Regular exhibitions of his works at the Royal Academy of Arts followed. His artistic style allows an assignment to the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelites . An obituary in the New York Times recognizes his ... close observation of natural objects ... and ... his love of nature was deep and his artistic ability was even greater.

Weir quickly specialized in naturalistic animal drawings. He illustrated and designed children's books and books on natural history. Weir also dealt with breeding. Several works on the breeds of domesticated domestic animals such as dogs, poultry and pigs were both written and illustrated by him. It is estimated that Weir illustrated over 100 works in total. Reprints of images and drawings are still available today.

Weir as the founder of cat breeding

Drawing of a spotted cat, 1889

A focus of Weir's work was the occupation with cats and their breeding. He is considered to be the founder of modern pedigree cat breeding and largely laid down rules for their exhibition and evaluation. Together with his brother John Jenner Weir, Weir initiated the first public exhibition of pedigree cats in London's Crystal Palace in 1871, which was to be followed by numerous other exhibitions. In 1887 he founded the National Cat Club and until his retirement in 1890 was its president and, together with his brother, judge at pedigree cat shows. Weir established several important pedigree cats such as Abyssinian cats or Siamese cats by first describing their breed standard. His work Our cats and all about them: their varieties, habits, and management, and for show, the standard of excellence and beauty was the standard work for the emerging breed of pedigree cats in England in the late 19th century.

bibliography

As author (selection):

As an illustrator (selection):

Web links

Commons : Harrison Weir  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Death of Harrison Weir - New York Times obituary, January 5, 1906
personal data
SURNAME Weir, Harrison
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Weir, Harrison William (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British artist, writer, founder of pedigree cat breeding
DATE OF BIRTH May 5, 1824
PLACE OF BIRTH Lewes , East Sussex
DATE OF DEATH January 3, 1906
Place of death Appledore , Kent