Sir Howard Colvin 1919-2007 Architectural historian par excellence

摘要

Howard Colvin died in his sleep on 27 December, having spent the previous day at home celebrating Christmas with his family. The RIBA will remember him as the greatest architectural historian of his time and perhaps ever. Colvin produced what might have remained the authoritative Biographical Dictionary of English Architects 1660-1840 in 1954, had he not expanded it in 1978 to include Scotland and the years 1600-1660, and brought out a revised edition in 1995. The work has been the starting point of all historical research on the architecture of early modern Britain since 1954. Howard Colvin was born in Sidcup, Kent, the son of Montagu Colvin, an engineer's buyer for Vickers. His mother, Winnie, was the daughter of George Beavis Randle, a photographer and maker of postcards. Being great readers, Montagu and Winnie had been reading Howard's End at the time of their first child's birth, and to that he owed his Christian name.