Thomas Holroyd

Thomas Holroyd (1821 – 10 March 1904) was an English portrait and landscape painter working in Harrogate, North Riding of Yorkshire, England. Before his marriage he undertook painting tours to the United States, Canada, Europe, Egypt, Russia and the Holy Land. Returning to Harrogate, he painted portraits of the local worthies there. He shared responsibility for the successful photography business T & J Holroyd with his brother James, and continued to run the business after his brother died. Holroyd was a founding member of Harrogate Liberal Club.

Holroyd left to Harrogate Corporation a bequest, which included his paintings of foreign lands, some sculptures by his friend William John Seward Webber, and several vintage carved oak furniture props from the photography business.

Life Thomas Holroyd (Rastrick 1821 – Harrogate 10 March 1904) was the son of photographic artist Benjamin Holroyd (b. Huddersfield c.1789) of Rastrick, West Riding of Yorkshire. Thomas attended the village school in Clifton, West Yorkshire, and "at one time the studios at Esplanade House had a wide reputation". However, while James was taking photographs Thomas was painting in watercolours and oils.

Holroyd trained at Leigh's Academy, London, and at Couture's Academy, Paris, and he studied in Rome for several years. In 1861 Holroyd's address was 70 Via Babuino, Rome.

On 6 November 1865, Holyroyd married Mary Asquith (Keighley c.1841 – Bradford 22 June 1889), at the former St Mary's Church, Low Harrogate. They had both been living at Esplanade House, the studio of Thomas and his brother James. They had at least three children: Frederick (born Harrogate 1866), Albert (1872 – 9 April 1891), and Harry (1887 – 30 January 1888). In 1871, Holroyd, his wife Mary, his son Frederick and his artist-photographer brother James were living in Esplanade House on The Esplanade, which later became St Mary's Walk, Harrogate. The 1881 Census finds Holroyd as a married man visiting Ventnor, Hampshire. On 22 June 1889, Holroyd's wife Mary committed suicide at the age of 48 by cutting her own throat in her bedroom while visiting 21 Victor Road, Manningham, Bradford. She had been in "depressed spirits" and had "talked of going into an asylum". In 1891 Holroyd was a widower with lodgers, living in Esplanade Cottage, St Mary's Walk, and still working as a portrait and landscape painter.

Holroyd was an "enthusiastic Liberal, and one of the founders of Harrogate Liberal Club".

The Knaresborough Post described him as one of Harrogate's "oldest and most respected residents". The Pateley Bridge & Nidderdale Herald said, "In addition to his artistic taste [Holroyd] was a man of intelligence, culture and versatile talents ... [He] was always anxious for Harrogate's progression and energetic in its interests".

Holroyd bequest

Holroyd left his paintings, the sculptures which he owned, and his "old oak" to the Harrogate Corporation. The marble statuary included The Warrior and the Wounded Youth (1878) commissioned by Holroyd and executed by William John Seward Webber (1842–1919). . The piece has not been retained by the Borough of Harrogate, although the Corporation formally accepted the bequest on 26 March 1904. These were the terms of the will: "I give and bequeath all the pictures, statuary in marble, and Old Italian Potter ware, and carved furniture, of which I shall be possessed at the time of my decease, to the Corporation of Harrogate, provided they will accept of the same to form the nucleus of an Art Gallery and Museum, and if they do not accept the same, my Trustees shall make the same offer to the Technical School for the same purpose". In the event, Harrogate did not open its first art gallery until 1930. That was housed in a single-room first-floor extension of Harrogate Library, which had already acquired eight marble busts by Webber, and Holroyd's portrait of William Grainge, in 1916.

Studios and works London studios

In the 1860s and 1870s Holroyd rented studios at Rathbone Place, Oxford Street, London, Fitzroy Street, Fitzroy Square, London, and Howland Street, Fitzroy Square, London.

Esplanade House The Harrogate studio, Esplanade House, features as a vignette on the back of the photographic studio's early cabinet cards. The building had the legend, "Holroyd Gallery of Art" on the facade, and functioned as both a photographic and art studio. The photographic studio T & J Holroyd, run by James Holroyd until 1874, had a "national reputation". The studio continued to function under Thomas Holroyd's control, employing four artists in 1874 producing photographic portraits, painted miniatures and oil paintings.

By 1913, it was a hotel which entertained E. M. Forster when he was writing his novel, Maurice. Today it is named Beech Villa and is worth over £1 million.

Selected works Portrait of Dr Kennion (displayed in Harrogate Council Chamber, 1904). The Ilex Grove, Genazzano, near Rome (1861);

Collections Leeds Art Gallery: Staithes, Whitby, North Yorkshire, 1878; River scene, undated; Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate: William Grainge, 1870; Alderman Richard Ellis JP, mayor 1884–1887, 1887; Alderman Simpson, before 1895; John Herbert Wilson, mayor of Harrogate, 1897; Alderman Joseph Hammond, before 1901. The Dyeworks, World's End, Knaresborough, and one untitled landscape. Harrogate Central Library, Harrogate: William Grainge, 1870.