Walter Leo ('The Egg') Hildburgh

Dr Walter Leo ('The Egg') Hildburgh MA, PhD DLitt
Born	1876
Died	1955
Residence	St Ermin’s Hotel, St James’s Park, SW Queen Anne's Mansions, St James's Park, SW [1915] Knightsbridge Hotel, Knightsbridge, SW1 [1919] Hotel Rembrandt, Thurloe Place, SW7 [1921] 8 Thorney Court, Hyde Park Gate, W8 [1929] 8 Elvaston Place, SW7 [1935]
Occupation	literary
Society Membership membership ordinary fellow elected_AI 1906.11.20 societies Society of Antiquaries Folklore Society Royal Archaeological Institute Japan Society New York Academy of Sciences Hispanic Society American Anthropological Association

Notes

Office Notes

RAI Council 1917 Member
RAI Council 1918 Member
RAI Council 1919 Member
RAI Council 1922 Member
RAI Council 1923 Member
RAI Council 1924 Member
RAI Council 1928 Member
RAI Council 1929 Member
RAI Council 1930-31 Member
RAI Council 1933-34 Member
RAI Council 1934-35 Member
RAI Council 1935-36 Member
RAI Council 1937-38 Member
RAI Council 1938-39 Member
RAI Council 1941-42 Hon. Treasurer
RAI Council 1942-43 Hon. Treasurer
RAI Council 1943-44 Hon. Treasurer
RAI Council 1944-45 Hon. Treasurer
RAI Council 1945-46 Member
RAI Council 1946-47 Member

House Notes

Proposed by T.A. Joyce; seconded by Henry Balfour 1906.10.24

VP Royal Archaeological Institute

Notes From Elsewhere

Dr Walter Leo Hildburgh was born in New York in 1876. After obtaining a PhD from Columbia University he worked in scientific research. A man of independent means, however, he pursued a range of interests: he became an international figure-skater (known as ‘The Egg’ on account of his premature baldness), was an excellent swimmer, and studied folklore (he became a member of the Folklore Society in 1906), anthropology, and magic. In 1912 Hildburgh settled in London and became a frequent visitor to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Hildburgh was elected to the fellowship of the Society of Antiquaries in 1915, and was awarded a D.Litt in the History of Art from the University of London in 1937. He died in London in 1955, aged 79

Publications

External Publications

In 1936 he published Spanish Medieval Enamels. An incomplete collection of prints of his articles was presented by him to the Folklore Society's library in 1950 and listed in the journal 'Folklore' of that year.

Japanes superstitions, Sinhalese magic, Spanish amulets, Chinese hardstones

Related Material Details

RAI Material

Photographs
census
A51/2/17 details of bequest

Other Material

generous benefactor to the Victoria & Albert Museum
also Horniman Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum, Smithsonian Design Museum; papers in Columbia University
books at Folk Lore Society