Cyril Davenport

Cyril James Humphries Davenport was a British librarian, art historian, and designer.

Life

Davenport, the son of an officer and the grandson of Admiral Salusbury Pryce Humphreys (Davenport), attended Charterhouse School. He initially worked as a draftsman for the Royal Engineer Department of the War Office before joining the British Museum Library in 1868. During his tenure, he became Superintendent of Bookbinding. He retired in 1913.
Davenport was regarded as an authority on the history of bookbinding and published extensively on this and other art and cultural history topics. He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. Additionally, he was an artist, working as a watercolor and miniature painter, book cover designer, sculptor, enameler, and goldsmith.