1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Clarke, Sir Caspar Purdon

CLARKE, SIR CASPAR PURDON (1846-1911), English art expert, was born in London Dec. 21 1846. Educated privately at Sydenham and Boulogne. In 1862 he entered the art schools at South Kensington and was trained as an architect. In 1865 he entered the Office of Works, and in 1867 was attached to the works department of the South Kensington museum. He travelled extensively for the museum, purchasing objects of art, and at the same time carried on his profession as an architect. In 1883 he became keeper of the India museum at South Kensington, in 1892 keeper of the art collections at South Kensington, in 1893 assistant-director, and in 1896 director. This post he held until 1905, when he became director of the Metropolitan museum, New York, resigning in 1910. He was knighted in 1902. He died in London March 29 1911.