John Bryan Ward-Perkins was born on 3 February 1912 in Bromley, Kent, the eldest son of Bryan Ward-Perkins, a British civil servant in India, and Winifred Mary Hickman. He attended Winchester College and New College, Oxford, graduating in 1934. He was awarded the Craven travelling fellowship at Magdalen College, which he used to study archaeology in Great Britain and France.
Career
Ward-Perkins served as assistant under Sir R. E. Mortimer Wheeler (1890–1976) from 1936 to 1939 at the London Museum. There he wrote a catalogue of the museum's collection. During these years he was also involved in the excavation of a Roman villa near Welwyn Garden City. In 1939 he became chair of archaeology at the Royal University of Malta.
In 1946 he accepted the position of Director of the British School at Rome. He maintained a scholarly interest in North Africa, largely because excavation work in Italy remained impossible. When peninsular excavations in Italy did resume, Ward-Perkins obtained aerial photographs from RAF reconnaissance of Italy, to map out excavations. He remained at the British School in Rome until his retirement in 1974.
In the 1950s his interest focused on the technical aspects of Roman construction and resulted in The Shrine of St Peter and the Vatican Excavations (1956) and David Talbot Rice's The Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperors (1958). In 1963 Ward-Perkins revived the stalled publication project of the Corpus signorum imperii Romani, a body of Roman sculpture held in collections throughout the world. He served as visiting professor in numerous institutions, including New York University (1957) and as Rhind Lecturer in Edinburgh in 1960. In 1970 he wrote the Roman section of the prestigious Pelican History of Art volume on Etruscan and Roman architecture, co-authored with Axel Boëthius. His students included the art historian Roger Ling, archaeologist Timothy W. Potter, and ancient historian Barri Jones. Photographs contributed by Ward-Perkins to the Conway Library are currently being digitised by the Courtauld Institute of Art, as part of the Courtauld Connects project.[2]
Ward-Perkins' major interests were in the materials of ancient art and city topography. He wrote works on city planning in classical Greece and Rome and the historical topography of Veii. He also reinitiated the project to map the Roman Empire, Tabula imperrii romani, which had begun in 1928 but had become inactive.[4] He was instrumental in the founding of the Association for Classical Archaeology, and the issuing of its journal, Fasti Archaeologici. Perhaps one of his most important contributions was the use of field survey to assess archaeological land patterns in Italy, forever changing archaeological inquiry. One of his major survey projects, the South Etruria Survey, produced a body of evidence that remains useful to scholars. In these techniques he was a pioneer, as well as in the field of ancient marble studies.
Death
Ward-Perkins died on 28 May 1981 in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
Personal life
Ward-Perkins married Margaret Sheilah Long in 1943.[5] She was a daughter of Henry William Long, a lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Army Medical Corps.
Together the couple had three sons and a daughter. One son is the historian Bryan Ward-Perkins. Another, David, is a successful consultant based between London and France; and the other, Hugh, based in Italy, is a well-noted musician, specialising in ancient music.[6]
Publications
Boëthius, Axel; Ward-Perkins, John Bryan (1970). Etruscan and Roman Architecture. Pelican History of Art (2nd ed.). Baltimore: Penguin.
Roman Imperial Architecture. New York: Penguin Books, 1981.
David Talbot Rice, ed. The Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperors. Second Report. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh Press, 1958: 52–104.
"The Italian Element in Late Roman and Early Medieval Architecture." Proceedings of the British Academy 23 (1947): 163–94.
and Reynolds, Joyce Maire. The Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania. Rome: British School at Rome, 1952.
and Toynbee, J. M. C. The Shrine of St. Peter and the Vatican Excavations. New York: Longmans, Green, 1956.
The Art of the Severan Age in the Light of Tripolitanian Discoveries. Proceedings of the British Academy 37. London: British Academy, 1953.
Cities of Ancient Greece and Italy: Planning in Classical Antiquity. New York: G. Braziller, 1974.
Landscape and History in Central Italy. 2nd J.L. Myres Memorial Lecture. Oxford: B. H. Blackwell, 1965.
Marble in Antiquity : Collected Papers of J.B. Ward-Perkins. Archaeological Monographs of the British School at Rome 6. London: British School at Rome, 1992.
Studies in Roman and Early Christian Architecture. London: Pindar Press, 1994.
"A Carved Marble Fragment at Riom (Puy-de-Dome) and the Chronology of the Aquitanian Sarcophagi." Antiquaries Journal 40 (January–April 1960): 25–34.
"Nero's Golden House." Antiquity 30 (December 1956): 209–219.
"The Hunting Baths at Leptis Magna." Archaeologia 93 (1949): 165–195.
References
^"Ward-Perkins, Lt. Col. John Bryan | Monuments Men and Women | Monuments Men Foundation".
^. Digital Media. 30 June 2020. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
^"APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
^Rivet, A. (1984). "The present state of the Tabula Imperii Romani". Journal of Roman Studies. 74: 200–201. doi:10.2307/299015. JSTOR 299015.
^"Ward-Perkins, J. B. | Dictionary of Art Historians". 21 February 2018.
Ling, Roger (2004). "Perkins, John Bryan Ward- (1912–1981)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/31802. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
Medwid, Linda M. (2000). The Makers of Classical Archeology: a reference work. Amherst, NY: Humanity Books. pp. 304–306. ISBN1573928267.
Reynolds, J. (1982). "John Bryan Ward-Perkins, CMG, CBE, FBA [obituary]". Papers of the British School at Rome. 50: xiii–xvii.
Ridgway, David (1995). "John Bryan Ward-Perkins". In De Grummond, Nancy Thomson (ed.). Encyclopedia of the History of Classical Archaeology. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. p. 1185. ISBN0313220662.
Wilkes, J. J. (1983). "John Bryan Ward-Perkins, 1912–1981 [obituary]". Proceedings of the British Academy. 69: 631–655.
External links
BSR Library and Archive digital collections. Ward-Perkins photographic collection[permanent dead link]
March 23, 2023
john, bryan, ward, perkins, historian, archaeologist, bryan, ward, perkins, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, de. For his son the historian and archaeologist see Bryan Ward Perkins This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations December 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message John Bryan Ward Perkins CMG CBE FBA 3 February 1912 28 May 1981 was a British Classical architectural historian and archaeologist and director of the British School at Rome Contents 1 Family and early life 2 Career 3 Interests 4 Death 5 Personal life 6 Publications 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksFamily and early life EditJohn Bryan Ward Perkins was born on 3 February 1912 in Bromley Kent the eldest son of Bryan Ward Perkins a British civil servant in India and Winifred Mary Hickman He attended Winchester College and New College Oxford graduating in 1934 He was awarded the Craven travelling fellowship at Magdalen College which he used to study archaeology in Great Britain and France Career EditWard Perkins served as assistant under Sir R E Mortimer Wheeler 1890 1976 from 1936 to 1939 at the London Museum There he wrote a catalogue of the museum s collection During these years he was also involved in the excavation of a Roman villa near Welwyn Garden City In 1939 he became chair of archaeology at the Royal University of Malta During the Second World War Ward Perkins saw military service in the British Royal Artillery in North Africa 1 He was assigned to protect the sites of Leptis Magna and Sabratha There he gained an intimate knowledge of Tripolitania and its Roman ruins After the war he was appointed as director of the Allied sub commission for monuments and fine arts in Italy In 1946 he accepted the position of Director of the British School at Rome He maintained a scholarly interest in North Africa largely because excavation work in Italy remained impossible When peninsular excavations in Italy did resume Ward Perkins obtained aerial photographs from RAF reconnaissance of Italy to map out excavations He remained at the British School in Rome until his retirement in 1974 In the 1950s his interest focused on the technical aspects of Roman construction and resulted in The Shrine of St Peter and the Vatican Excavations 1956 and David Talbot Rice s The Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperors 1958 In 1963 Ward Perkins revived the stalled publication project of the Corpus signorum imperii Romani a body of Roman sculpture held in collections throughout the world He served as visiting professor in numerous institutions including New York University 1957 and as Rhind Lecturer in Edinburgh in 1960 In 1970 he wrote the Roman section of the prestigious Pelican History of Art volume on Etruscan and Roman architecture co authored with Axel Boethius His students included the art historian Roger Ling archaeologist Timothy W Potter and ancient historian Barri Jones Photographs contributed by Ward Perkins to the Conway Library are currently being digitised by the Courtauld Institute of Art as part of the Courtauld Connects project 2 Ward Perkins was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1981 3 Interests EditWard Perkins major interests were in the materials of ancient art and city topography He wrote works on city planning in classical Greece and Rome and the historical topography of Veii He also reinitiated the project to map the Roman Empire Tabula imperrii romani which had begun in 1928 but had become inactive 4 He was instrumental in the founding of the Association for Classical Archaeology and the issuing of its journal Fasti Archaeologici Perhaps one of his most important contributions was the use of field survey to assess archaeological land patterns in Italy forever changing archaeological inquiry One of his major survey projects the South Etruria Survey produced a body of evidence that remains useful to scholars In these techniques he was a pioneer as well as in the field of ancient marble studies Death EditWard Perkins died on 28 May 1981 in Cirencester Gloucestershire Personal life EditWard Perkins married Margaret Sheilah Long in 1943 5 She was a daughter of Henry William Long a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Army Medical Corps Together the couple had three sons and a daughter One son is the historian Bryan Ward Perkins Another David is a successful consultant based between London and France and the other Hugh based in Italy is a well noted musician specialising in ancient music 6 Publications EditBoethius Axel Ward Perkins John Bryan 1970 Etruscan and Roman Architecture Pelican History of Art 2nd ed Baltimore Penguin Roman Imperial Architecture New York Penguin Books 1981 David Talbot Rice ed The Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperors Second Report Edinburgh University of Edinburgh Press 1958 52 104 The Italian Element in Late Roman and Early Medieval Architecture Proceedings of the British Academy 23 1947 163 94 and Reynolds Joyce Maire The Inscriptions of Roman Tripolitania Rome British School at Rome 1952 and Toynbee J M C The Shrine of St Peter and the Vatican Excavations New York Longmans Green 1956 The Art of the Severan Age in the Light of Tripolitanian Discoveries Proceedings of the British Academy 37 London British Academy 1953 Cities of Ancient Greece and Italy Planning in Classical Antiquity New York G Braziller 1974 Landscape and History in Central Italy 2nd J L Myres Memorial Lecture Oxford B H Blackwell 1965 Marble in Antiquity Collected Papers of J B Ward Perkins Archaeological Monographs of the British School at Rome 6 London British School at Rome 1992 Studies in Roman and Early Christian Architecture London Pindar Press 1994 A Carved Marble Fragment at Riom Puy de Dome and the Chronology of the Aquitanian Sarcophagi Antiquaries Journal 40 January April 1960 25 34 Nero s Golden House Antiquity 30 December 1956 209 219 The Hunting Baths at Leptis Magna Archaeologia 93 1949 165 195 References Edit Ward Perkins Lt Col John Bryan Monuments Men and Women Monuments Men Foundation Who made the Conway Library Digital Media 30 June 2020 Archived from the original on 3 July 2020 Retrieved 3 March 2021 APS Member History search amphilsoc org Retrieved 14 June 2022 Rivet A 1984 The present state of the Tabula Imperii Romani Journal of Roman Studies 74 200 201 doi 10 2307 299015 JSTOR 299015 Ward Perkins J B Dictionary of Art Historians 21 February 2018 Hugh Ward Perkins Yasar University OMEGA Further reading EditLing Roger 2004 Perkins John Bryan Ward 1912 1981 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 31802 Subscription or UK public library membership required Medwid Linda M 2000 The Makers of Classical Archeology a reference work Amherst NY Humanity Books pp 304 306 ISBN 1573928267 Reynolds J 1982 John Bryan Ward Perkins CMG CBE FBA obituary Papers of the British School at Rome 50 xiii xvii Ridgway David 1995 John Bryan Ward Perkins In De Grummond Nancy Thomson ed Encyclopedia of the History of Classical Archaeology Westport CT Greenwood Press p 1185 ISBN 0313220662 Wharton Annabel 1990 Rereading Martyrium the modernist and postmodernist texts methodological comments Gesta 29 1 3 7 doi 10 2307 767095 JSTOR 767095 S2CID 194493172 Wilkes J J 1983 John Bryan Ward Perkins 1912 1981 obituary Proceedings of the British Academy 69 631 655 External links EditBSR Library and Archive digital collections Ward Perkins photographic collection permanent dead link Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Bryan Ward Perkins amp oldid 1145777401, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
