Leonard Shoobridge

October 20, 1858 (age 76)

Kensington, London

He is best known as a contributor to The Book of Bodley Head Verse (edited by J B Priestley) and co-author with Professor Sir Charles Waldstein of In July 1892, he stood as Liberal candidate for the local seat of Staffordshire, North Western, a seat previously held by Leveson-Gower, but he came second to the Conservative candidate, James Heath (5638 votes, 5406 votes). He became the owner and local Justice of the Peace of The Lea, Tunstall near Eccleshall, Staffordshire. Little remains because the grave was severely vandalised in 2009. In 1908, Shoobridge was co-author, with Professor Sir Charles Waldstein, of The book details the excavation of Herculaneum – a town in Italy buried, along with Pompeii, by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Shoobridge, according to Waldstein, had been urging him since 1903 to excavate Herculaneum. They worked together researching collections of artefacts in the museum at Naples and propounded an ambitious project to create an international body for the preservation and further exploration of the site of Herculaneum. This was blocked by the Italian parliament. Reviewing the book, The Times Literary Supplement suggested that Shoobridge was a moderating influence on Waldstein"s extravagant ideas. The Classical Weekly observed, "The main part of the book, all that requires real research or approximation thereto, seems to be the work of Mr. Shoobridge." Shoobridge was a man of many talents. In 1910, he published a book of his poetry: Poems by Leonard Shoobridge. The Times Literary Supplement, reviewing the book, wrote, If Mr. Shoobridge has any poems of twenty lines in this book, they are very few. He prefers two short stanzas. And he aims deliberately and patently, not at statement but suggestion. In many of these poems, indeed, he seems to be attempting to say nothing at all, and to care only for affecting the reader as he himself might be affected by a snatch of music Very faint, very remote, very scent-like are even the most vivid of them: He called the breezes of the south To play upon the clustering hair To linger on the roseate mouth Sweet sighs evoking there Sighs in the soul, and fear and all A host of fancy"s shimmering lights Gleams in the dusk, when love-notes call Through perfumed sultry nights. Shoobridge bought a house in France and painted there, and during World War I, directed Red Cross work in Italy, under Lord Monson. In 1926, he was a contributor to The Book of Bodley Head Verse, a collection of poems which was edited by the novelist and playwright J. B. Priestley. Shoobridge died in 1935, at his house near Nice in the south of France at the age of 76.

Leonard Shoobridge

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Background

Shoobridge was born in Kensington, London to William South Shoobridge, a solicitor and his wife Elizabeth, née Wansley.

Education

He studied at Eton College and Balliol College, Oxford where he took honours in classics, and was a student of Sir Arthur Blomfield, a noted English architect specialising in restoring old buildings and churches.

Career

He is best known as a contributor to The Book of Bodley Head Verse (edited by J B Priestley) and co-author with Professor Sir Charles Waldstein of In July 1892, he stood as Liberal candidate for the local seat of Staffordshire, North Western, a seat previously held by Leveson-Gower, but he came second to the Conservative candidate, James Heath (5638 votes, 5406 votes). He became the owner and local Justice of the Peace of The Lea, Tunstall near Eccleshall, Staffordshire. Little remains because the grave was severely vandalised in 2009.

In 1908, Shoobridge was co-author, with Professor Sir Charles Waldstein, of The book details the excavation of Herculaneum – a town in Italy buried, along with Pompeii, by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Shoobridge, according to Waldstein, had been urging him since 1903 to excavate Herculaneum.

They worked together researching collections of artefacts in the museum at Naples and propounded an ambitious project to create an international body for the preservation and further exploration of the site of Herculaneum. This was blocked by the Italian parliament.

Reviewing the book, The Times Literary Supplement suggested that Shoobridge was a moderating influence on Waldstein"s extravagant ideas. The Classical Weekly observed, "The main part of the book, all that requires real research or approximation thereto, seems to be the work of Mr.

Shoobridge." Shoobridge was a man of many talents.

In 1910, he published a book of his poetry: Poems by Leonard Shoobridge. The Times Literary Supplement, reviewing the book, wrote, If Mr. Shoobridge has any poems of twenty lines in this book, they are very few.

He prefers two short stanzas.

And he aims deliberately and patently, not at statement but suggestion. In many of these poems, indeed, he seems to be attempting to say nothing at all, and to care only for affecting the reader as he himself might be affected by a snatch of music

Very faint, very remote, very scent-like are even the most vivid of them: He called the breezes of the south To play upon the clustering hair To linger on the roseate mouth Sweet sighs evoking there Sighs in the soul, and fear and all A host of fancy"s shimmering lights Gleams in the dusk, when love-notes call Through perfumed sultry nights. Shoobridge bought a house in France and painted there, and during World War I, directed Red Cross work in Italy, under Lord Monson.

In 1926, he was a contributor to The Book of Bodley Head Verse, a collection of poems which was edited by the novelist and playwright J. B. Priestley.

Shoobridge died in 1935, at his house near Nice in the south of France at the age of 76.

Connections

Friend:: George Granville Leveson-Gower

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