Biography
Charles Robert Chisman (1877-1955) who lived at 86 Fallow Court Avenue, North Finchley, London became private secretary to the artist Sir Hubert Herkomer (1849-1914) at the age of 22, 1899-1912 and from 1912-1927 was secretary to the Irish artist Sir John Lavery (1856-1941). His first experience of organising art exhibitions was a result of his acquaintance with Sir Imre Kiralfy (1845-1919) at White City in 1911-14, where he was secretary for British fine art section.
A pioneer of the principle of circulating exhibitions, Chisman founded the Art Exhibitions Bureau after the First World War and since then had acted for many other such organsiations, including the Circulating Art Exhibition Committee of the Museums Association, the Canadian National Exhibition of Toronto and the Exhibition Division of the French Provisional Goverment in London during WW2.
He also helped to found the Empire Loan Exhibition Society, of which he was organising director for over 20 years. He was secretary of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters from 1913 and of the New English Art Club from 1931 until the only illness he ever had caused his retirement in 1953.