John Griffiths (curator)
Encyclopedia
John Griffiths was a Welsh museum curator
at the Science Museum
in London, England.
Griffiths spent his childhood in the village of Ystradgynlais
near Swansea
in Powys
, south Wales. He studied for a doctorate in astrophysics
at University College London
, working on a variable star in Cassiopeia
and in infrared astronomy
, receiving his PhD in 1977.
John Griffiths joined the London Science Museum in 1979. He was involved in several significant gallery projects and was a curator of space technology and modern production technology at the museum. In particular, he worked on the Space Exploration gallery that opened in 1986. From 1987 to 1991, he was Head of the Special Projects Group and during 1991 to 1995 he was responsible for the installation of a new collections management system as part of the LAASI consortium.
In 1995, Griffith co-organised a meeting at the Science Museum on Museum Collections and the Information Superhighway in the early days of web development. In the late 1990s, Griffiths was the curator of the printing and protective clothing collections. He was also involved in creating content for the museum's website.
Griffiths left the Science Museum in 2003 and then taught astronomy
at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. He lived for part of the time in El Bosque, Cádiz, southern Spain, where he set up the Griffon Educational Observatory with Andy Burns and Griffith's wife, Kathy.
Griffith died in Spain, aged 57.
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...
at the Science Museum
Science museum
A science museum or a science centre is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in museology have broadened the range of...
in London, England.
Griffiths spent his childhood in the village of Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais
Ystradgynlais is a town on the River Tawe in south west Powys; it is the second largest town in Powys, Wales. The town grew around the iron-making, coal-mining and watch-making industries....
near Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
in Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, south Wales. He studied for a doctorate in astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, working on a variable star in Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia (constellation)
Cassiopeia is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the vain queen Cassiopeia in Greek mythology, who boasted about her unrivalled beauty. Cassiopea was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century Greek astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today...
and in infrared astronomy
Infrared astronomy
Infrared astronomy is the branch of astronomy and astrophysics that studies astronomical objects visible in infrared radiation. The wavelength of infrared light ranges from 0.75 to 300 micrometers...
, receiving his PhD in 1977.
John Griffiths joined the London Science Museum in 1979. He was involved in several significant gallery projects and was a curator of space technology and modern production technology at the museum. In particular, he worked on the Space Exploration gallery that opened in 1986. From 1987 to 1991, he was Head of the Special Projects Group and during 1991 to 1995 he was responsible for the installation of a new collections management system as part of the LAASI consortium.
In 1995, Griffith co-organised a meeting at the Science Museum on Museum Collections and the Information Superhighway in the early days of web development. In the late 1990s, Griffiths was the curator of the printing and protective clothing collections. He was also involved in creating content for the museum's website.
Griffiths left the Science Museum in 2003 and then taught astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. He lived for part of the time in El Bosque, Cádiz, southern Spain, where he set up the Griffon Educational Observatory with Andy Burns and Griffith's wife, Kathy.
Griffith died in Spain, aged 57.