Thomas Okey (30 September 1852 – 4 May 1935) was a British expert on

basket weaving Basket weaving (also basketry or basket making) is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into three-dimensional artifacts, such as baskets, mats, mesh bags or even furniture. Craftspeople and artists specialized in making baskets ...

, a translator of Italian, and a writer on art and the

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...

of architecture and art works in Italy and France. Okey's first experience of the Italian language came when he attended the Extension Lectures at

Toynbee Hall Toynbee Hall is a charitable institution that works to address the causes and impacts of poverty in the East End of London and elsewhere. Established in 1884, it is based in Commercial Street, Spitalfields, and was the first university-affili ...

in the 1880s. In 1919, he became the first Serena Professor of Italian at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

. Okey was a hereditary basket maker from a poor East End of London family, and on his appointment at Cambridge he stated that: and He was made a Fellow of

Gonville and Caius College Gonville and Caius College, commonly known as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348 by Edmund Gonville, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges an ...

in 1920. Okey was also a member of the

Art Workers' Guild The Art Workers' Guild is an organisation established in 1884 by a group of British painters, sculptors, architects, and designers associated with the ideas of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. The guild promoted the 'unity of al ...

, and was elected Master in 1914.

Works

* *''Venice and its Story'' (1904) *''Paris and its Story'' (1904) *Dante's

Purgatorio ''Purgatorio'' (; Italian for "Purgatory") is the second part of Dante's ''Divine Comedy'', following the ''Inferno (Dante), Inferno'' and preceding the ''Paradiso (Dante), Paradiso''; it was written in the early 14th century. It is an alleg ...

(translator). *''The Little Flowers of Saint Francis of Assisi'' *''The Story of Avignon'' (1926) *''The Little Flowers of St. Francis'' *''Selections From the ''Vita Nuova'' *''The Old Venetian Places and Old Venetian Folk'' *''A Basketful of Memories: An Autobiographical Sketch'' (1930)

References

External links

* * * British non-fiction writers 1852 births 1935 deaths British translators Translators of Dante Alighieri Professors of the University of Cambridge Fellows of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge British male writers British male non-fiction writers Masters of the Art Worker's Guild {{UK-writer-stub