Sir Caspar Purdon Clarke
(1846-1911), Museum director and architect; Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkSitter in 4 portraits
Sir Caspar Purdon Clarke, museum director and architect, studied architecture at the National Art Training Schools. In 1867 he was employed by the works department of the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum). In 1880 he arranged the Indian collections at South Kensington, after which he became keeper of the India Museum at South Kensington. He rose to become the museum's director in 1896. Clarke's most renowned architectural commission was the Indian hall at Elvedon, Suffolk, commissioned in 1899 by Edward Cecil Guinness, first Earl of Iveagh. In 1905 he moved to New York as director of the city's Metropolitan Museum. Clarke retired and returned to England in 1909.
by Harry Furniss
pen and ink, 1880s-1900s
NPG 3441
by Benjamin Stone
platinum print, 7 August 1901
NPG x44612
by Benjamin Stone
platinum print, 7 August 1901
NPG x44613
The Maharaja and Maharani of Baroda and party on the Terrace of the House of Commons
by Benjamin Stone
platinum print, 5 July 1905
NPG x135610
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.