James Taylor (British author and historian)
Encyclopedia
James Taylor MA FRSA (born 1963) is a British
author, expert on maritime art, and former curator
of the National Maritime Museum
, Greenwich
, east London
.
Taylor was educated at the Universities of St Andrews
and Manchester
. Early in his career, Taylor spent time as an auctioneer with Phillips Fine Art Auctioneers, where he was Head of Victorian
paintings. From 1989, he was Curator of paintings, drawings and prints, exhibition organiser and Corporate Membership Manager at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. He began to publish on marine art
in the mid 1990s.
Taylor has since written several books, including illustrated histories on maritime and yachting art, and, in 2009, The Voyage of the Beagle, charting the story of the ship made famous by Charles Darwin
. In March 2009, John Van Wyhe, of BBC History Magazine, wrote that The Voyage of the Beagle ‘brings together a wonderful mixture of old and new illustrations and information about the voyage from wildly scattered sources.’ Recently he has produced a study on the popular English 20th century cartoonist and Punch
magazine editor, Fougasse
, who created the anti-rumour and gossip posters during World War II
.
Included amongst Taylor’s professional achievements are several Sir James Caird Awards for writing, and the Sir Geoffrey Callender Award for outstanding achievement in supporting the public lecture programme and developing the corporate membership scheme of the National Maritime Museum. Since 1999, he has worked as a freelance writer and lecturer. In 2001, he was appointed an official lecturer for the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS). According to the Mere Literary Festival, Taylor ‘lectures regularly to a wide range of societies, including NADFAS around the world.’
Taylor is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Sussex
on William Westall (1781-1850) the 'landscape and figure draughtsman' who sailed with Matthew Flinders
on the voyage of HMS Investigator (1801-3) – the first recorded circumnavigation of Australia.
James Taylor is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author, expert on maritime art, and former curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the National Maritime Museum
National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...
, Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Biography
A school trip in the 1970s to Captain James Cook’s Birthplace Museum started a lifelong interest in maritime art and history for James Taylor.Taylor was educated at the Universities of St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
and Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
. Early in his career, Taylor spent time as an auctioneer with Phillips Fine Art Auctioneers, where he was Head of Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
paintings. From 1989, he was Curator of paintings, drawings and prints, exhibition organiser and Corporate Membership Manager at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. He began to publish on marine art
Marine art
Marine art or maritime art is any form of figurative art that portrays or draws its main inspiration from the sea. Maritime painting is a genre that depicts ships and the sea—a genre particularly strong from the 17th to 19th centuries...
in the mid 1990s.
Taylor has since written several books, including illustrated histories on maritime and yachting art, and, in 2009, The Voyage of the Beagle, charting the story of the ship made famous by Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
. In March 2009, John Van Wyhe, of BBC History Magazine, wrote that The Voyage of the Beagle ‘brings together a wonderful mixture of old and new illustrations and information about the voyage from wildly scattered sources.’ Recently he has produced a study on the popular English 20th century cartoonist and Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
magazine editor, Fougasse
Fougasse (cartoonist)
Cyril Kenneth Bird, pen name Fougasse was a British cartoonist best known for his editorship of Punch magazine and his iconic World War II warning propaganda posters....
, who created the anti-rumour and gossip posters during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Included amongst Taylor’s professional achievements are several Sir James Caird Awards for writing, and the Sir Geoffrey Callender Award for outstanding achievement in supporting the public lecture programme and developing the corporate membership scheme of the National Maritime Museum. Since 1999, he has worked as a freelance writer and lecturer. In 2001, he was appointed an official lecturer for the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS). According to the Mere Literary Festival, Taylor ‘lectures regularly to a wide range of societies, including NADFAS around the world.’
Taylor is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
on William Westall (1781-1850) the 'landscape and figure draughtsman' who sailed with Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
on the voyage of HMS Investigator (1801-3) – the first recorded circumnavigation of Australia.
James Taylor is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
.