Elizabeth Esteve-Coll

Elizabeth Esteve-Coll
DBE
Born
Elizabeth Anne Kingdon

(1938-10-14)14 October 1938
Ripon, England
Died16 September 2024(2024-09-16) (aged 85)
NationalityBritish
EducationTrinity College, Dublin
Birkbeck, University of London
Occupation(s)Academic, museum director, librarian
Spouse
José Esteve-Coll
​
(m. 1959)​

Dame Elizabeth Anne Loosemore Esteve-Coll DBE FRSA (née Kingdon; 14 October 1938 – 16 September 2024) was a British academic, museum director and librarian.

Early life and education

Esteve-Coll was born in Ripon, West Riding of Yorkshire, the daughter of Percy Kingdon, a bank clerk, and his wife Nora Rose. She was educated at Darlington High School and read English and Spanish at Trinity College, Dublin and Art History at Birkbeck College (now Birkbeck, University of London).[1][2]

Career

Esteve-Coll was head of learning resources at Kingston Polytechnic (now Kingston University London) from 1977 to 1982.[3] In 1982 she became the first female director of the University of Surrey Library.[3][4] In 1985 she became the Keeper of the National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum.[5] She then instigated various changes to make the library more accessible to a broader audience.[6] Esteve-Coll became the UK's first woman director of a national arts collection when she was appointed director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1987, succeeding Sir Roy Strong.[7][8] She resigned in 1994, midway through her second term as director, to take up the Vice-Chancellorship of the University of East Anglia.[9] Alan Borg succeeded her as its new director, taking the post on 1 October 1995.[7]

Esteve-Coll served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia from 1995 to 1997, but was forced to step down after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She said at the time: "It is with real sadness and disappointment that I must acknowledge that I am not able to lead the university into the 21st century."[10][11] She served as Chancellor of University of Lincoln for seven years,[12] as well as being a Trustee of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures since its foundation in January 1999.[13]

Marriage

At the age of 21, she married Spanish refugee sea captain José Esteve-Coll, 30 years her senior.[14] He died in 1980.[2]

Honours

Esteve-Coll was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in 1995.

She received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (3rd class) in November 2005 in recognition of her "outstanding contribution to the promotion of Japanese culture and studies to British people".[15]

In November 2008, she was presented with an honorary doctorate of arts and made Chancellor Emerita by the University of Lincoln during her farewell ceremony at Lincoln Cathedral.[16][17]

Death

Esteve-Coll died on 16 September 2024, at the age of 85.[14]

Bibliography

  • Books by My Bedside (1989)

References

  1. ^ "Debrett's – The trusted source on British social skills, etiquette and style-Debrett's". Debretts.com. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  2. ^ a b Darwent, Charles (18 September 2024). "Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Esteve-Coll, Elizabeth (1938–) | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  4. ^ Library, University of Surrey [@surreylib] (8 March 2019). "To celebrate #IWD2019, we'd like to recognise the achievements of Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll, our first woman Director of @surreylib in 1982. Photo credit: @UniOfSurrey Archives (US/PH/2/7/10 ©University of Surrey) #surreylib #uniofsurrey #BalanceforBetterpic.twitter.com/mgl9ESLnpC" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 March 2019 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ "Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll obituary: director of the V&A". The Times. 25 September 2024.
  6. ^ Esteve-Coll, Elizabeth (1986). "Image and Reality: the National Art Library". Art Libraries Journal. 11 (2): 33–39. doi:10.1017/S0307472200004624.
  7. ^ a b "V&A directors past and present". Vam.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  8. ^ Adams, R. (2010). The New Girl in the Old Boy Network: Elizabeth Esteve-Coll at the V&A. Gender, Sexuality and Museums: A Routledge Reader, 28–42.
  9. ^ Sanderson, Michael (January 2002). The History of the University of East Anglia, Norwich. A&C Black. p. 387. ISBN 9781852853365. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  10. ^ "Esteve-Coll is to retire | Times Higher Education (THE)". Times Higher Education. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  11. ^ Vice-Chancellors of the University of East Anglia – Reviews, Description & more. ISBN 9781157204213. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  12. ^ "University of Lincoln bids farewell to Chancellor". Lincoln.ac.uk. 15 October 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  13. ^ "Interview with Founders and Staff « Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures". Sainsbury-institute.org. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  14. ^ a b "Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll, director of the V&A who divided critics with her 'rebranding' exercise". The Telegraph. 17 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Embassy of Japan in the UK". Uk.emb-japan.go.jp. 3 November 2005. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  16. ^ "Appointments | Times Higher Education (THE)". Times Higher Education. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  17. ^ University of Lincoln, Staff News, Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll DBE 1938–2024
Academic offices
Preceded by
none
 Chancellor of the University of Lincoln
2001–2008 		Succeeded by