Basil Hunnisett

Hunnisett was educated at Lewes County Grammar School, Lewes, East Sussex from 1934{{cite magazine |magazine=The Barbican |issue=5 |year=1934 |url=http://www.old-lewesians.org.uk/barbicans/barb05.htm |title=SALVETE |via=old-lewesians.org.uk}} to 1939.{{cite magazine|magazine=The Barbican|issue=14 |year=1940 |url=http://www.old-lewesians.org.uk/barbicans/barb14.htm |title=VALETE |via=old-lewesians.org.uk}}

His first job was as assistant librarian at Lewes Public Library from 1939 to 1947.{{cite web |title=Lewes letter of engagement |url=http://soundadvice-old.dev.wizbit.net/downloads/Basil-Hunnisett/Lewes-Library-letter-of-engagement.jpg}} This included four and a half years war service in the Royal Air Force, mostly in India from 1942. He was demobbed in April 1947 with the rank of corporal.CILIP update 2014, p.46.

He became a student and studied at the Brighton School of Librarianship from January to December 1948.CILIP update 2014, p.48.

In later life he received a Master of Arts, London University (with mark of distinction), 1971 and in 1977 became a Doctor of Philosophy, London University.

After qualifying, Hunnisett worked as reference librarian for Bath Municipal Libraries from March 1949 to October 1951,{{cite web |title=Library Association Year Book 1951 |url=http://soundadvice-old.dev.wizbit.net/downloads/Basil-Hunnisett/Library_Association_Year_Book_1951_Bath_HunnisettB.pdf |publisher=Library Association}} then as central lending librarian for Worthing Public Libraries from November 1951 to October 1956. During this time he conducted the Association of Assistant Librarians correspondence courses in classification, 1952.{{cite web |title=Worthing Herald (Friday 5th October 1951) |url=http://soundadvice-old.dev.wizbit.net/downloads/Basil-Hunnisett/Worthing-appointment-1951.pdf |website=The British Library Board archives |publisher=Johnston press}}

In October 1956, Hunnisett was appointed deputy borough librarian and curator for Shrewsbury Public Libraries, Museums and Art Gallery, where he worked until August 1964.{{cite book |title=Library Association Year Book 1964 |publisher=The Library Association |location=The Library Association archives |page=235 |url=http://soundadvice-old.dev.wizbit.net/downloads/Basil-Hunnisett/Library_Association_Year_Book_1964_Shrewsbury_HunnisettB.pdf}} While there, he was a committee member of Shropshire Arts Society and also gained Part 1 of the Museums Association Diploma in 1963.

Pursuing an interest in steel engraving, he became a lecturer (later senior then principal lecturer) in the Department of Librarianship at Brighton Polytechnic from September 1964 to August 1988.{{cite web |title=confirmation of Principal lecturer |url=http://soundadvice-old.dev.wizbit.net/downloads/Basil-Hunnisett/Principle.pdf |access-date=29 June 2020}}

After retiring, Hunnisett was frequently invited as a guest lecturer at bibliography events such as the Ninth Annual Seminar of the British Book Trade Index at the University of Reading in 1991.{{cite journal |title=Information |journal=The Library |date=1991 |volume=s6-13 |issue=2 |pages=194–195 |doi=10.1093/library/s6-13.2.194}}

Hunnisett was the honorary training officer and chairman of Surrey and Sussex Libraries in Co-operation (SASLIC) from 1977 to 1982, a member of the National Committee on Library History, and a member of the Art Libraries Society (ARLIS) from 1970 to 1980.CILIP update 2014, p.46.

As there was no suitable book on steel engraving to use for teaching and reference, Hunnisett set out to write one, visiting and corresponding with many libraries and collections. He ultimately wrote three books:

• Steel Engraved Book Illustration in England (1980). Scolar Press. 263 pp {{ISBN|0-85967-5386}} (Reprinted 2022 Routledge Revivals series {{ISBN|9780367548568}})
• A Dictionary of British Steel Engravers (1980). F. Lewis. (2nd edition revised and enlarged, published January 1989 by Scolar Press. {{ISBN|0-85967-740-0}}) (Reprinted 2022 Routledge Revivals series {{ISBN|9780367548346}})
• Engraved on Steel - History of Picture Production Using Steel Plates (1998) Ashgate. {{ISBN|9780859679718}} (Reprinted 2020 Routledge Revivals series {{ISBN|9781138311411}})

The working papers for these books and drafts for a fourth book were donated to the St Bride Print History Library after his death and the original prints of the books are in their collection.{{cite web|url=https://www.sbf.org.uk/library/|website=St Bride Library|access-date=14 May 2020|title=Library | St Bride Foundation}}

A review of his first book by Christina Huemer noted: "The history of steel engraving, however, has hitherto been confined to a page or two in surveys of book illustration or Victorian art history, not easily accessible to interested collectors or librarians. Therefore Basil Hunnisett’s book, the first systematic treatment of the subject, is most welcome."{{cite journal |last1=Huemer |first1=Christina |title=Reviewed Work: Steel Engraved book Illustration in England |journal=Journal of Library History |date=1982 |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages= 218–220 |jstor=25541276 }} Michel Melot, in the Bulletin des Bibliothèques de France said: "The author fills an important gap in the history of engraving and illustrated books, its index makes it an easy tool for book historians."{{cite journal |last1=Melot |first1=Michel |title=Reviewed Work: Steel Engraved book Illustration in England |journal=Bulletin des Bibliothèques de France |date=1981 |issue=5 |page=308 |url=http://bbf.enssib.fr/consulter/bbf-1981-05-0308-003}} George Tubbs (Art Libraries Society of North America) said: "The volume could equally well be added to a special collection on the history of books and printing, or to a general research collection, since a case could be made that the book elucidates social, as well as book and art history. The art librarian would do well to assure this book’s presence in one location or another."{{cite journal |last1=Tubbs |first1=George |title=Review: Steel Engraved book Illustration in England |journal=Art Libraries Society of North America |date=1981 |volume=9 |issue=2 |page=65 |jstor=27946482 }} Poul Steen Larsen (Royal School of Librarianship, Denmark) said: "Dr Hunnisett should receive due praise for this scholarly treatment of a neglected chapter in the history of British book illustration. This pioneer work is a must in all art book collections and larger general libraries".{{cite journal|last1=Larsen |first1=Poul Steen |title=Review of Steel Engraved book Illustration in England |journal=Journal of Librarianship | volume=13|doi=10.1177/096100068101300109 |s2cid=61131124 }}

• "Charles Warren, Engraver," Journal of the Royal Society of Arts. Vol. 125, No. 5253 (August 1977), pp. 590–594.{{cite journal |last1=Hunnisett |first1=Basil |title=Charles Warren, Engraver |journal=Journal of the Royal Society of Arts |date=1977 |volume=125 |issue=5253 |pages=590–594 |jstor=41372556 }}
• "The History of Fine Art Libraries in France" - Thesis submitted for MA in Library and Information Studies, University College, London, 1971{{cite journal |title=Review : Towards International Comparative Librarianship |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/096100067200400105 |journal=Journal of Librarianship |year=1972 |doi=10.1177/096100067200400105 |access-date=28 April 2021|last1=Thompson |first1=Anthony |volume=4 |pages=57–69 |s2cid=62643595 |url-access=subscription }} (reproduced in Bibliothek und Wissenschaft, Vol 17, 1983 149pp).{{cite web |title=Bibliothek und Wissenschaft / Zeitschriftenband (1983) / Artikel / 102 - 150 |url=https://www.digizeitschriften.de/dms/img/?PID=GDZPPN000242586 |website=DigiZeitschriften |access-date=28 April 2021}}
• A serial of six articles in Antiquarian Book Monthly Review on aspects of steel engraving 1986-1988 held by the British Library{{cite web |title=Antiquarian book monthly |url=http://explore.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?ct=facet&fctN=facet_creator&fctV=Hunnisett%2c+B.&rfnGrp=1&rfnGrpCounter=1&vl%28drEndYear4%29=Year&vl%28drStartMonth4%29=00&&indx=1&fn=search&dscnt=0&vl%281UIStartWith0%29=contains&vl%281UIStartWith2%29=contains&mode=Advanced&vid=BLVU1&vl%282084770721UI3%29=articles&vl%28boolOperator1%29=AND&tab=local_tab&vl%28freeText1%29=&vl%28drStartYear4%29=Year&vl%28drStartDay4%29=00&dstmp=1601298567869&frbg=&vl%282084770717UI1%29=any&scp.scps=scope%3A%28BLCONTENT%29&tb=t&vl%281UIStartWith1%29=contains&vl%282084770715UI0%29=any&ct=search&srt=rank&vl%28boolOperator0%29=AND&Submit=Search&vl%282084770716UI2%29=any&vl%28drEndMonth4%29=00&vl%28freeText2%29=&vl%28boolOperator2%29=AND&dum=true&vl%28freeText0%29=Hunnisett&vl%28drEndDay4%29=00 |website=British Library |access-date=4 November 2020}}
• April 1986, "Alaric Watts and the Literary Souvenir", Antiquarian Book Monthly Review, Vol 13, ISSN 0306-7475, pp. 132–135.{{cite web |title=Literary Gazette |url=http://www.victorianperiodicals.com/series3/single_sample.asp?id=93114 |website=Victorian Periodicals |access-date=28 April 2021}}
• Hunnisett wrote 14 articles for the New Dictionary of National Biography 1998-9 and revised four further articles; all were about 18th and 19th century engravers.{{cite web |title=List of contributions by Basil Hunnisett |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/search?btog=chap&f_0=contributor&q_0=Hunnisett |website=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |publisher=OUP |access-date=8 June 2020}}
• Seven contributions to the Grove Dictionary of Art 1991.{{cite web|title=Grove Dictionary of Art|url=https://www.oxfordartonline.com/search?q=Hunnisett&searchBtn=Search&isQuickSearch=true|access-date=14 May 2020}}
• Contributions to Library History, New Library World, Art Libraries Journal and Journal of the Royal Society of Arts

Over 100 books and articles cite Hunnisett's books and articles.{{cite web |title=Basil Hunnisett |url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Basil+Hunnisett&oq=basil+hunnisett |website=Google Scholar |access-date=4 November 2020}} They are frequently cited in bibliographies and sources by curators in museums and art galleries to support exhibits.{{cite web |last1=Cited |title=Engraving by Henry Jorden |url=http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nb2008023182.html |website=Library of Congress |access-date=22 May 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Cited |title=Engraving by John Henry Robinson |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG43899 |website=British Museum |access-date=22 May 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Referenced for a |title=Turner print English Harbour. |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/356562 |website=Metropolitan Museum of Art}} Academic institutions and art organisations suggest the books as recommended reading, providing background support for courses in literature, historical biography and bibliography.{{cite web |last1=Appears in |title=Recommended Bibliography |url=http://valentine.dur.ac.uk/pip/background/technical/bibliog1.html |website=Durham University UK |access-date=22 May 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Listed in |title=Bibliography of illustrations and Print |url=https://www.personal.psu.edu/special/C18/engrave.htm |website=Penn State DuBois College PA |access-date=22 May 2020}}{{cite web |title=Bibliography for Lecture 20, page 8 Literature in the 19th century |url=http://keio-ocw.sfc.keio.ac.jp/letters/01D-001_e/lecture_contents/bibliography_E.pdf |website=Keio University, Japan. |access-date=22 May 2020 |archive-date=17 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717185329/http://keio-ocw.sfc.keio.ac.jp/letters/01D-001_e/lecture_contents/bibliography_E.pdf |url-status=dead }}

• Associate of Library Association in 1949{{cite book |title=Library Association Year Book 1951 |publisher=The Library Association}}
• Fellow of the Library Association, 1951{{cite book |title=List of members |date=1985 |publisher=Library Association Year Book |isbn=9780853655077 |page=112 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jt4aAQAAMAAJ&q=Hunnisett}}
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts 1975-85{{cite web |last1=List of Elected Fellows |title=Journal of Royal Society of the Arts |url=http://soundadvice-old.dev.wizbit.net/downloads/Basil-Hunnisett/RSA-election-list-of-Fellows.pdf |publisher=Royal Society of the Arts |access-date=4 November 2020}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite journal |title=Dr Basil Hunnisett Obituary |journal=Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals |date=February 2014 |issue=Quarterly Magazine. CILIP Update |pages=46–48}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunnisett, Basil}}

Category:1923 births

Category:2013 deaths

Category:Academics of the University of Brighton

Category:Alumni of the University of London

Category:English art historians

Category:English librarians

Category:People educated at Priory School, Lewes

Category:People from Lewes

Category:Writers from Sussex