Sir Robert James Sainsbury, was the son of John Benjamin Sainsbury, and along with his wife Lisa began the collection of modern and tribal art housed at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich.
Background
Robert Sainsbury was educated at Haileybury College and Pembroke College, Cambridge, before qualifying as an accountants
Sainsbury married Lisa Ingeborg (née Van den Bergh. 3 March 1912 – 6 February 2014) daughter of Professor Simon van den Bergh and Sonia Pokrojski. They had four children Elizabeth (married name Clark.
19 July 1938 – 14 August 1977), Celia (b1945, married name Blakey) and Annabel (b1948, married Peter Kanabus had two children: Adrian Kanabus b 1975, Jason Kanabus b 1976, d June 2006) David (b 24 October 1940), later David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville.
Education
Master of Arts (honorary fellow), Cambridge University, 1983. Dr (honorary), Radio Corporation of America, 1976. Doctor of Letters (honorary), East Anglia University, 1977.
Doctor of Laws (honorary), Liverpool University, 1988.
Career
Robert Sainsbury was an advocate of better conditions for the retail chain"s employees. Pensions and sickness benefits for all staff came in 1935. Overtime payments were introduced in 1941.
And, from 1962, the five-day week was standard.
While Alan Sainsbury took charge of trading matters, Robert Sainsbury specialised in administration, finance and personnel. lieutenant was a happy partnership, lasting more than 30 years.
The Second World War broke out a year after Robert Sainsbury"s promotion, and there were rationed supplies at the 250 Sainsbury"s shops. Robert Sainsbury was a strong supporter of the Beveridge Report, which cradled the welfare state into being.
By the end of the war, Robert Sainsbury had cut the long hours which under-18s had necessarily put in - with men conscripted and women on war work.
The 1950s brought self-service supermarkets. By the time he retired as chairperson in 1969, Robert Sainsbury had been a principal architect of the supergrocer"s fortunes, which ensured its continuing success through to the beginning of the 1990s. Robert Sainsbury was as an art collector and benefactor who gave his collection to the University of East Anglia, and was awarded a knighthood in 1969 for services to the arts
In 1973, Robert Sainsbury made a gift to the University of East Anglia of several hundred paintings, drawings and sculptures from around the world, which he had bought over the decades.
Designed by the architect Norman Foster, and with an endowment of £3m from Sainsbury"s son David, the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, built to house the works, opened in spring 1978. Robert James Sainsbury ( 1906 - 1969 ) Sir Robert James Sainsbury ( 1969 - 2000 ).
Achievements
Robert James Sainsbury has been listed as a noteworthy art association administrator by Marquis Who's Who.
Membership
Past member Art Panel of Arts Council. Member managing committee Courtauld Institute Art, University London, 1979-1982. Visiting committee to primitive art department Metropolitan Museum Art, New York City, 1986.
President British Association Friends and Museums, 1985-1988. Trustee Tate Gallery, 1959-1973, vice-chairman, 1967, chairman, 1969. Co-founder Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, UEA, 1978.
Honorary treasurer Institute Medical Social Workers, 1948-1971. Governor St. Thomas' Hospital, 1939-1968. Member British Association Friends of Museum.
