Stow, Harry

'Factotum' (handyman) and general worker, active c.1908 to at least c.1934

Harry Stow (life dates not yet researched)

work at WHMM

Employed as a ‘factotum’ (handyman) and general manual worker (Symons 1993, p.13). Stow was among the staff members sent to bid in person at auction sales. He was active at WHMM from c.1908 to at least 1934 from his annotations in auction catalogues.

Oral history of W.J. Britchford describes Stow as a ‘right hand man’ to Henry Wellcome when W was in London, dealing with his personal needs and purchases. Oral history of Joan Lillico describes how Stow helped with unpacking cases of ethnographic material for staff to catalogue. (Symons 1987, 31-32.)

WA/HMM archives

• Earliest annotated auction catalogue October 1908 (WA/HMM/CM/Sal/21/83/2)

• Latest annotated auction catalogue July-August 1934 (WA/HMM/CM/Sal/21/874/1)

• WA/HMM/ST/Lat/A.204 - Staff file (closed), dated Sep 1915 - Nov 1941

Oral history of W. J. Britchford, describing Harry Stow (source: Symons 1987, 31):

He would go to the salerooms and bring back catalogues for Sir Henry to study and mark anything which interested him. He also went to the salerooms to bid for such items. If Sir Henry said he needed some new shirts Stow would buy half a dozen at a time, and he would purchase shaving brushes and even shoes for him at times.

Tags: museum staff; auction bidder; practical staff