280:"The word 'visionary' is often overused perhaps, but in Frank's case it really is true. He was a one off, a truly remarkable man, with boundless energy combined with a striking intellect and an infectious curiosity for history. He collected thousands of objects over the years, always interested in typical and everyday items that help tell the story of everyday life – stories that are so often overlooked and forgotten. His life's work was to preserve and study the history of everyday life in the North East and to present this story in a vivid, immersive and accessible way".
215:. Atkinson attended the latter award ceremony despite having recently had cancer surgery. He retired the same year, although his association with Beamish continued; he served as President of the Friends of Beamish until his death. Following his retirement, Atkinson was Commissioner with the Museums and Galleries Commission (MGC) and Chairman of the Commission's Registration Committee, until December 1994. He had previously worked as an advisor for a number of national bodies in the museums and galleries sector. He also acted as an advisor to the
192:
Beamish Museum: "It is essential that collecting be carried out quickly and on as big a scale as possible. It is now almost too late." To this end, Atkinson initiated a policy of "unselective collecting", saying: "you offer it to us and we will collect it". This method of building up the collection proved highly successful and in addition forged links between the institution and the surrounding community. Beamish was also innovative in its operational arrangements, receiving funding and administrative assistance from a
288:“Frank’s death is really, really sad news for everybody associated with the museum and culture across the North-East. The work he did and the vision he had for the museum in selecting the site and bringing all of the local authorities together in those days was virtually unheard of. His vision for the museum was for it to be immersed in the culture of the region and that is what we have got. It is magnificent and that is his lasting legacy”.
123:, West Riding of 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
191:
with him as its first director. The aim was to create an "Open-Air Museum for the purpose of studying, collecting, preserving and exhibiting buildings, machinery, objects and information illustrating the development of industry and the way of life of the North of
England". He said of the creation of
255:
Atkinson met his wife-to-be, Joan
Peirson, when she joined the museum service in Halifax. They married on Valentine's Day 1953, celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary in 2013. They had three sons and from 1982 they lived in
151:
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
111:, 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.
268:, an interest he had discovered at the age of 12, as well as photography and collecting Natural History specimens such as beetles, ferns, fossils and minerals.
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Under
Atkinson's direction, Beamish was named the National Heritage 'Museum of the Year' in 1986, and the following year was awarded the title
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260:, Northumberland, where Atkinson assisted in fundraising for repairs to the church tower and later became Vice-Chairman of the
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103:(13 April 1924 – 30 December 2014) was a British museum director and curator. Atkinson is best known for creating the
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conferred
Atkinson an honorary doctorate of civil law (DCL) upon his retirement in 1987. He was later awarded the
807:
276:
Atkinson died on 30 December 2014, after a long illness. Richard Evans, the director of
Beamish, told the BBC:
301:, Atkinson also wrote several books on the history and traditional pastimes of the North East – amongst them
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187:
In 1966, Atkinson was instrumental in the setting-up of the working party that resulted in the creation of
805:
Atkinson, F; Ward, A (1964). "A pair of "clog" wheels from northern
England (of the early 19th century)".
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Atkinson, F (1963). "Some notes on the formation of caverns in the Craven area of south-west
Yorkshire".
261:
124:
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Atkinson, Frank (2001) The Story of
Ovingham on Tyne. A village History. Northern Books
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176:. Here, he first began to realise his vision of creating an English version of the
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Durham county councillor Carl
Marshall, chairman of the board at Beamish, said:
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Simpson, E; Atkinson, F (1948). "Lancaster Hole, Casterton Fell, Westmorland".
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833:
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Beamish, the North of England Open Air Museum: the experience of a lifetime
779:
Atkinson, F (1963). "The administration of museums by librarian-curators".
165:
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128:
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144:
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Atkinson, F; McDowall, RW (1967). "Aisled houses in the Halifax area".
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147:. However, he spent his weekends and days off as a volunteer worker at
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Atkinson also wrote a number of articles in journals and magazines.
257:
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120:
46:
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Atkinson, F (1959). "Water-shot stonework: a building technique".
995:
219:
Birthplace Trust, overseeing the handover of its archives to the
585:
Journal and Proceedings of the British Speleological Association
583:
Atkinson, F (1950). "Oxford Hole, Casterton Fell, Westmorland".
572:
Journal and Proceedings of the British Speleological Association
546:
Journal and Proceedings of the British Speleological Association
533:
Journal and Proceedings of the British Speleological Association
505:
Journal and Proceedings of the British Speleological Association
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Journal and Proceedings of the British Speleological Association
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Journal and Proceedings of the British Speleological Association
466:
Journal and Proceedings of the British Speleological Association
453:
Journal and Proceedings of the British Speleological Association
365:
338:
630:
Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society
265:
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946:
944:
650:
Atkinson, F (1960). "The Horse as a Source of Rotary Power".
570:
Atkinson, F (1950). "New Pots for Old – Bar Pot, Yorkshire".
516:
Atkinson, F (1949). "Colour and movement in museum display".
792:
Atkinson, F (1964). "An open-air museum of the north-east".
591:(14): 231–237, 245, 230. Plan in conjunction with RD Leakey.
1006:"Frank Atkinson – the man who built Beamish – dies aged 90"
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973:
503:
Atkinson, F (1949). "Lancaster Hole-The Cow Pot Entrance".
302:
1074:
941:
544:
Atkinson, F (1949). "The Cavern, Ireby Fell, Lancashire".
477:
Atkinson, F (1948). "Giants Hole, Castleton, Derbyshire".
135:, whilst also serving as a volunteer with the paratroops.
970:
758:
Atkinson, F (1963). "Knur and spell' and allied games".
727:
Atkinson, F (1962). "Yorkshire's last oatbread maker?".
164:
and Belle Vue. In 1958, he was appointed curator of the
396:. Pictures from the Past. London: Collins & Brown.
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1052:
703:
Atkinson, F (1961). "Oatbread maker of the Pennines".
451:
Atkinson, F (1947). "Notes on Collecting Cave Fauna".
208:; it was the UK's first museum to be run in this way.
620:
In: The Second Northcountryman, ed Stanley Williamson
464:
Atkinson, F (1948). "The Peak Cavern Survey: Fauna".
747:
Proceedings of the British Speleological Association
596:
Atkinson, F (1957). "A Manx fireplace (Chiollagh)".
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820:Atkinson, F (1965). "Yorkshire miners' cottages".
714:Atkinson, F (1962). "A museum with a difference".
247:list, for services to the development of museums.
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557:Atkinson, F; Speak, H (1950). "Saturday museum".
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156:Museums and Art Gallery with responsibility for
1060:"Beamish Museum in County Durham has turned 40"
981:"Beamish Museum pays tribute to Frank Atkinson"
686:"Dives House Barn at Dalton, near Huddersfield"
489:
321:Life and Tradition in Northumberland and Durham
910:
886:
884:
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350:. Newton Abbot, England: David & Charles.
1139:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
808:Transactions of the Yorkshire Dialect Society
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531:Atkinson, F (1949). "Eldon Hole – Present ".
804:
618:Atkinson, F (1958). "Yorkshire nailmaking".
871:
372:
1134:Directors of museums in the United Kingdom
927:"Frank Atkinson: The man who made Beamish"
679:http://pubs-newcomen.com/tfiles/33p031.pdf
736:Atkinson, F (1962). "Pennine Haymaking".
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196:of four neighbouring county councils –
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131:he obtained a science degree from the
1144:Alumni of the University of Sheffield
794:The Journal of Industrial Archaeology
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143:Atkinson began his working life at a
891:Martin Wainwright (2 January 2015).
653:Transactions of the Newcomen Society
609:Atkinson, F (1958). "Nail making".
373:Guy, Andy; Atkinson, Frank (1992).
271:
13:
1088:"Tributes to man who made Beamish"
231:In 1980, Atkinson was awarded the
14:
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348:Victorian Britain: The North East
1086:Havery, Gavin (9 January 2015).
691:Yorkshire Archaeological Journal
622:. G and AN Scott Ltd, Rochdale.
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264:. Atkinson's hobbies included
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1012:. Darlington. 31 December 2014
1:
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297:As well as an autobiography,
213:'European Museum of the Year'
114:
983:. BBC News. 30 December 2014
7:
1031:Allan, Rosemary E. (2003).
952:"Frank Atkinson – obituary"
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78:Museum director and curator
10:
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772:10.1179/043087763798255114
958:. London. 11 January 2015
893:"Frank Atkinson obituary"
857:10.1017/S0003581500013470
180:he had seen on a trip to
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1094:. Durham. Archived from
413:The Man Who Made Beamish
411:Atkinson, Frank (1999).
392:Atkinson, Frank (1991).
346:Atkinson, Frank (1989).
319:Atkinson, Frank (1977).
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299:The Man Who Made Beamish
262:Parochial church council
1062:. BBC News. 2 July 2010
844:The Antiquaries Journal
834:10.1179/flk.1965.3.1.92
133:University of Sheffield
125:Barnsley grammar school
323:. London: J. M. Dent.
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119:Atkinson was born in
684:Atkinson, F (1960).
666:10.1179/tns.1960.003
956:The Daily Telegraph
168:, an art museum in
415:. Northern Books.
227:Awards and honours
1010:The Northern Echo
435:978-0-9535730-1-1
237:Durham University
200:, Tyne and Wear,
96:Dr Frank Atkinson
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245:New Year Honours
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1100:. Retrieved
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897:The Guardian
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243:in the 1995
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166:Bowes Museum
158:Shibden Hall
145:coking plant
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60:(2014-12-30)
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1035:. Jarrold.
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182:Scandinavia
67:Nationality
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865:References
194:consortium
115:Early life
39:1924-04-13
902:4 January
822:Folk Life
800:(1): 3–8.
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760:Folk Life
674:0372-0187
643:0950-4699
511:(7): 279.
266:potholing
223:in 1991.
202:Cleveland
184:in 1952.
753:: 67–78.
442:Articles
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174:Teesdale
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670:ISSN
639:ISSN
635:LXIX
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303:leek
55:Died
33:Born
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241:CBE
233:OBE
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