Claude Blair, (30 November 1922 – 21 February 2010) was a British

museum curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

and scholar, who specialised in European

arms and armour Military technology is the application of technology for use in warfare. It comprises the kinds of technology that are distinctly military in nature and not civilian in application, usually because they lack useful or legal civilian application ...

. He is particularly known for his book ''European Armour: circa 1066 to circa 1700'' (1958). He worked in the

Royal Armouries The Royal Armouries is the United Kingdom's national collection of arms and armour. Originally an important part of England's military organization, it became the United Kingdom's oldest museum, originally housed in the Tower of London from ...

at the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

from 1951 to 1956, before moving to the Department of Metalwork at the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

, where he remained until his retirement as Keeper of Metalwork in 1982. He was active in church

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...

, and served as a Vice-President of the

Society of Antiquaries of London A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societ ...

from 1990 to 1993.

Early life and education

Blair was born on 30 November 1922 in

Chorlton-cum-Hardy Chorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of Manchester, England, southwest of the Manchester city centre, city centre. Chorlton (ward), Chorlton ward had a population of 14,138 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census, and Chorlton Park (w ...

, Lancashire, England. He was the only child born to William Henry Murray Blair (1875–1945), cotton-goods merchant, and Lilian Blair (née Wearing; 1891–1983). He was educated at

William Hulme's Grammar School William Hulme's Grammar School is a mixed all-through school in Whalley Range, Manchester, England. History William Hulme (1631–1691) of Hulme Hall, Stockport, was the founder of "Hulme's Charity" later known as the Hulme Trust. Follow ...

, a

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

in Manchester. Following military service in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Blair

matriculated Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...

into the

University of Manchester , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...

in 1946. He studied history, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1950. He later studied for a Master of Arts (MA) degree from Manchester which he completed in 1963 with a thesis titled "The Emperor Maximilian I's Gift of Armour to Henry VIII and the Silvered and Engraved Armour at the Tower of London".

Career

Military service

Blair served in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

during

. Having undertaken

officer training A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...

in 1942, he was commissioned into the

Royal Regiment of Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

on 24 April 1943. While serving in Northern Ireland, he was injured in a vehicle accident. He was riding in the back of a truck that was picking up his regiment's beer supply when the truck braked sharply. The beer barrels shifted; his leg was trapped between two of them and was broken. This ended his active service but he remained in the army as part of the team that tested new

small arms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...

. He left the Army in 1946 with the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Curatorial career

In 1951, Blair began his curatorial career, having been appointed an assistant to James Mann at the

Armouries in London. During his time at the Tower, he undertook research into its amour collection and published a book on the matter, ''European Armour, circa 1066 to circa 1700'', which appeared in 1958. This book proved popular and has "yet to be superseded as the standard text on the subject". In 1956, Blair moved to the

(V&A) after being appointed Assistant Keeper of Metalwork by its director,

Sir Trenchard Cox Sir George Trenchard Cox (1905–1995) was a British museum director. Early years Cox was born on 31 July 1905 in London to barrister William Pallett Cox and Marion. He was educated at Eton College and then at King's College, Cambridge, where h ...

. He was promoted to Deputy Keeper in 1966 and to Keeper (i.e. head) of the Department of Metalwork in 1972. He retired from the V&A in 1982. During his career, Blair published more than 200 books and articles. These were varied works, from those related to his main interest of armour, articles about monuments and even the Crown Jewels. He believed that "museums should be powerhouses of scholarship, but should also communicate and educate". As such, he would give lectures that were accessible to children during the Easter holidays, and wrote a number books aimed at the general public.

Later life

Blair led an active retirement. He was a member of the

Churches Conservation Trust The Churches Conservation Trust is a registered charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk in England. The charity cares for over 350 churches of architectural, cultural and historic significance, which have been transferred in ...

from 1982 to 1997, and a member of the Executive Committee of the

Council for the Care of Churches The Central Council for the Care of Churches of the Church of England was formed in 1917, developing from the Central Committee for the Protection of English Churches under the Archbishops' Council. It became the Church Buildings Council in 2007, ...

from 1983 to 1991. He was Vice-President of the

between 1990 and 1993. Blair spent his final years living in

Ashtead Ashtead is a large village in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England, approximately south of central London. Primarily a commuter settlement, Ashtead is on the single-carriageway A24 between Epsom and Leatherhead. The village is on t ...

, Surrey. He died on 21 February 2010 at

Epsom Hospital Epsom Hospital is a teaching hospital in Epsom, Surrey, England. The hospital is situated on Dorking Road south east of the centre of Epsom. It is managed by the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust along with the nearby St Helier ...

Epsom Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...

, having suffered from heart failure.

Personal life

On 23 February 1952, Blair married Joan Mary Greville Drinkwater (1923–1996). Together they had one son, John Blair (born 1955); he is now an academic at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

specialising in the history and archaeology of Anglo-Saxon England.

Honours

In the 1994 Queen's Birthday Honours, Blair was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) "for services to Church Conservation". In the

2005 New Year Honours New Year Honours were granted in the United Kingdom and New Zealand at the start of 2005. Among these in the UK were knighthoods awarded to Mike Tomlinson, the educationalist; Derek Wanless, who led a review of the National Health Service; and ...

, he was appointed a

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch, Mon ...

(CVO) "for services to the

Royal Collection The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world. Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the ...

". In 1956, he was elected a

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

(FSA). In 1986, he was awarded the Medal of the Arms and Armour Society. In 1995, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Society of Antiquaries; this is awarded "for distinguished services to archaeology" and is the Society's highest award.

Selected works

* * * * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blair, Claude 1922 births 2010 deaths British curators British military historians People from Chorlton-cum-Hardy People educated at William Hulme's Grammar School Officers of the Order of the British Empire Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Alumni of the University of Manchester Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London British Army personnel of World War II Royal Artillery officers Historians of weapons