Frank Atkinson (museum director)
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Frank Atkinson CBE |
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|---|---|
| Born |
13 April 1924 Barnsley, South Yorkshire |
| Died | 30 December 2014 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Museum director and curator |
| Known for | Founder of the Beamish Museum |
Frank Atkinson CBE (13 April 1924 – 30 December 2014) was a British museum director and curator. Atkinson is best known for creating the Beamish Museum near Stanley, County Durham, an open-air 'living' museum on the history of the north of England with a focus on the changes brought to both urban and rural life by the industrialisation of the early 20th century.
Atkinson was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire on 13 April 1924, the oldest son of Ernest, a labourer, and Elfrida, a school teacher and later headmistress. An early interest in fossil collecting later saw him become the youngest member of the Barnsley Naturalist and Scientific Society. He was educated at nearby Mapplewell School and at Barnsley grammar school. During World War II he obtained a science degree from the University of Sheffield, whilst also serving as a volunteer with the paratroops.
Atkinson began his working life at a coking plant. However, he spent his weekends and days off as a volunteer worker at Wakefield Museum where he successfully gained employment as a museum assistant. At the age of 25 he became the institution's director; he was the youngest museum director in the country. In 1952, Atkinson became Director of Halifax Museums and Art Gallery with responsibility for Shibden Hall, Bankfield Museum and Belle Vue. In 1958, he was appointed curator of the Bowes Museum, an art museum in Barnard Castle, Teesdale. Here, he first began to realise his vision of creating an English version of the open-air museums he had seen on a trip to Scandinavia in 1952.
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