Designer, writer, and civil servant, born in Bath, SW England, UK. He introduced the penny postage system and is one of several candidates cited as inventor of the adhesive stamp. Under his pseudonym he set up a firm for art manufacture, published illustrated children's books, and published the first Christmas card. He planned and largely organized the Great Exhibition of 1851 under the patronage of Prince Albert. He also set up a national system of art education, and was director of the South Kensington Museum (185373), which became the Victoria and Albert Museum. He was knighted in 1875.
Sir Henry Cole (15 July 1808, Bath, England – 18 April 1882, London, England) was a civil servant who facilitated many innovations in commerce and education in 19th century Britain.
Biography
Cole began his career at the age of 15 at the Public Record Office, where he became Assistant Keeper and was instrumental in reforming the organisation and preservation of the British national archives.
In 1843, Cole introduced the world's first commercial Christmas card, commissioning artist John Callcott Horsley to make the artwork.
As Felix Summerly
Cole was personally interested in industrial design, and under the pseudonym Felix Summerly designed a number of items which went into production, including a prize-winning teapot manufactured by Minton. and The most delectable history of Reynard the Fox (illustrated with twenty-four coloured pictures by Aldert van Everdingen) (1846).
Cole and the Exhibitions
Through his membership of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, Cole lobbied government for support for his campaign to improve standards in industrial design.
Cole visited the 1849 11th Quinquennial Paris Exhibition and noticed the lack of an exhibition open to international participants.
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October 1851, and was an enormous popular and financial success, partially due to the astute management of Henry Cole.
As one of the Commissioners, Cole was instrumental in the decision that the £186,000 surplus from the Great Exhibition would be used for improving science and art education in the United Kingdom. Henry Cole was appointed the first General Superintendent of the Department of Practical Art, set up by the government to improve standards of art and design education in Britain with reference to their applicability to industry.
Honors and Legacy
He was instrumental in the development of the Royal College of Art as a postgraduate design school and played a part in the establishment of many other South Kensington institutions, such as the Royal College of Music and Imperial College London. Often referred to in the press as "Old King" Cole, he was known to have the closest personal backing of the Queen and especially of the Prince Consort, who when he needed a facilitator for one of his pet projects, was heard to remark: "We must have steam, get Cole".
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