About Helen

Assistant Curator of Decorative Arts, based at York Art Gallery

Background

Studied stained glass for BA degree, then did a Leonardo da Vinci scholarship working for a glass artist in Bonn, Germany, and then worked in a stained glass conservation & restoration studio in UK.

I did an MA in Heritage Studies at Salford University, followed by a few months' voluntary work in museums. I then worked at the Whitworth Gallery, Manchester, working on their wallpaper collection, followed by the River & Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames. I moved to Scarborough Museums & Gallery as Registrar, then moved to York Museums Trust in 2004.

Interests

Decorative Arts, 20th century studio ceramics, particularly the WA Ismay collection, and stained glass.

Why I wanted to be a curator

The opportunity to work with beautiful objects with interesting stories

Favourite part of my job

Cataloguing the WA Ismay collection - playing detective and identifying pots, working out where they came from and who made them

Favourite gallery object

There are over 4,000 pots in York Museum Trusts 20th century studio ceramics collection, so my favourite pot changes every week! At the moment it is a small jar by Charles Vyse from the WA Ismay collection. I love the simple shape and the richly coloured glaze.

Historical idol

John Thornton - master glazier from Coventry who painted the Great East Window of York Minster in 1405-8. It's the largest expanse of medieval glass in Europe and its design includes the creation of the world and its destruction.

Proudest moment

Not reached it yet- it will be when I finish cataloguing the WA Ismay collection (2,200 pots down, approx 1,300 to go)

Strangest request

When I was volunteering at Dove Cottage, the home of poet William Wordsworth, in the Lake District, someone rang up asking if they could buy some doves for a wedding

If you see me, ask me

Whats your favourite pot this week?