David Lowenthal (26 April 1923 – 15 September 2018) was an American

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

and

geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...

, renowned for his work on

heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today ** Cultural heritage is created by humans ** Natural heritage is not * Heritage language Biology * Heredity, biological inheritance of physical c ...

. He is credited with having made

heritage studies Heritage studies looks at the relationship between people and tangible and intangible heritage through the use of social science research methods. The publication of the book by David Lowenthal, ''The Past is a Foreign Country'', in 1985 is credi ...

a discipline in its own right.

Biography

David Lowenthal was born on 26 April 1923 in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Max Lowenthal Max Lowenthal (1888–1971) was a Washington, DC, political figure in all three branches of the federal government in the 1930s and 1940s, during which time he was closely associated with the rising career of Harry S. Truman; he served under Osca ...

and Eleanor Mack (daughter of

Julian Mack Julian William Mack (July 19, 1866 – September 5, 1943) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Commerce Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States Circuit Courts for the Seventh Circuit, ...

), and was also the brother of

John Lowenthal John Lowenthal (1925-2003) was a 20th-century American lawyer, civil servant, law professor, and documentary filmmaker, who defended the name and reputation of family friend Alger Hiss almost all his life. Background John Lowenthal was b ...

and Betty Levin. Lowenthal graduated from the Lincoln School in New York, which encouraged interdisciplinary investigation. He went to

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

during the

Second World War 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 ...

, studying across several disciplines but graduating with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree in

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

in 1944. He returned to study for a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree in

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

, in 1950."Forbes Prize Lecture 2010"
International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Resources. At Berkeley his research was on

the Guianas The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories: * French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France * ...

, working with Carl Sauer. He earned his

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

degree in history from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

, for a study of the life of

George Perkins Marsh George Perkins Marsh (March 15, 1801July 23, 1882), an American diplomat and philologist, is considered by some to be America's first environmentalist and by recognizing the irreversible impact of man's actions on the earth, a precursor to the ...

, an early geographer and conservationist. Lowenthal was inducted into the US Army infantry in May 1943 and deployed in September 1944, three months after

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

. He left active service with

trench foot Trench foot is a type of foot damage due to moisture. Initial symptoms often include tingling or itching which can progress to numbness. The feet may become red or bluish in color. As the condition worsens the feet can start to swell and smel ...

, and it was while recuperating in Somerset that his long association with England, later to become his adopted country, began. In December 1944, he was reassigned to Army Intelligence and embarked on a mission to count toilets in German castles to ascertain how well each might support the occupation forces. While taking part in the Intelligence Photographic Documentation Project – a never-completed mission to survey and catalogue the whole of western Europe's terrain and built environment – Lowenthal fell from his truck and fractured his wrist, which resulted in his being recalled to Washington in September 1945.

Career

Lowenthal served as a research analyst for the

US Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other ...

from 1945 to 1946. From 1952 to 1956, he was an assistant professor of history at

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...

. He then undertook several postings, between the US, Caribbean, and the UK. From 1956 to 1970 at the

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 17 English-speaking countries and territories in th ...

in Jamaica, he was a history lecturer, research associate, and a consultant to the Vice Chancellor. From 1958 to 1972, he was also a research associate at the

American Geographical Society The American Geographical Society (AGS) is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the ...

. Between 1961 and 1972 he worked at the

Institute of Race Relations The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) is a think tank based in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1958 in order to publish research on race relations worldwide, and in 1972 was transformed into an "anti-racist think tank". Proposed by ''Sund ...

in London. He was a professor of geography at

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

(UCL) 1972 to 1985 and remained an emeritus professor there until his death. In October 2017 he gave the inaugural lecture in an annual series for UCL's new Centre for Critical Heritage Studies. Lowenthal died in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on 15 September 2018, having celebrated his 95th birthday with friends earlier in the year, in both London and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. He and his family lived in

Harrow on the Hill Harrow on the Hill is a locality and historic village in the borough of Harrow in Greater London, England. The name refers to Harrow Hill, ,Mills, A., ''Dictionary of London Place Names'', (2001) and is located some half a mile south of the mod ...

in north-west London for many years, and after retirement, in California.

Contributions

Lowenthal's doctoral work was on the 19th-century North American philologist, geographer, and environmentalist

, whose work laid the foundations of the environmental conservation movement in the United States, and led to his book ''George Perkins Marsh: Versatile Vermonter'' (1958, revised 2003). Other key texts of his in the field of historical geography include ''The Heritage Crusade and the Spoils of History'' (1996), and ''Passage du Temps sur le Paysage'' (2008). Landscape photographs taken by Lowenthal in the 1950s were included in a French exhibition at ''Le Pavillon Populaire'' in Montpellier, France, from 8 February to 16 April 2017 and accompanying book ''Notes sur l'asphalte, une Amérique mobile et précaire, 1950-1990''. His last book, ''Quest for the Unity of Knowledge'', was published posthumously in November 2018. He was well known for his work on landscapes, and advised international

agencies and institutions, including

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

, the

International Council on Monuments and Sites The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS; french: links=no, Conseil international des monuments et des sites) is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the worl ...

, the

International Council of Museums The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to museums, maintaining formal relations with UNESCO and having a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Founded in 1946, I ...

ICCROM The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage worldwide through training, information, research, co ...

, the

Getty Conservation Institute The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), located in Los Angeles, California, is a program of the J. Paul Getty Trust. It is headquartered at the Getty Center but also has facilities at the Getty Villa, and commenced operation in 1985.J. Paul Getty T ...

, the

World Monuments Fund World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...

, the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...

Europa Nostra Europa Nostra (Italian for "Our Europe") is a pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, representing citizens' organisations that work on safeguarding Europe's cultural and natural heritage. It is the voice of this movement to relevant intern ...

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

, the US National Trust for Historic Preservation, the

National Trust of Australia The National Trust of Australia, officially the Australian Council of National Trusts (ACNT), is the Australian national peak body for community-based, non-government non-profit organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's Ind ...

, and the

Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage The Directorate for Cultural Heritage ( no, Riksantikvaren or ''Direktoratet for kulturminneforvaltning'') is a government agency responsible for the management of cultural heritage in Norway. Subordinate to the Norwegian Ministry of the Environm ...

. His historical analysis of the ever-changing role of the past in shaping our lives, ''The Past Is a Foreign Country'' (1985), is his best-known work, widely considered to be a classic text. A new book, ''The Past Is a Foreign Country – Revisited'', came out in 2015, for which he was honoured with a

British Academy Medal The British Academy Medal is awarded annually by the British Academy to up to three individuals or groups. It is awarded for "outstanding achievement that has transformed understanding of a particular subject or field of study in ... any branch of ...

in the same year. Lowenthal was also active in the

Sark Sark (french: link=no, Sercq, ; Sercquiais: or ) is a part of the Channel Islands in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, France. It is a royal fief, which forms part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of l ...

community, first visiting the island in the 1990s. He returned several times since 2010 while becoming involved in the Sark community's battle against constitutional reform preferential to the Barclay twins.

Recognition

Lowenthal was awarded several medals by institutions around the world. These included: *The Victoria Medal of the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

, awarded in 1997 "for conspicuous merit in research in geography". *The

Cullum Geographical Medal The Cullum Geographical Medal is one of the oldest awards of the American Geographical Society. It was established in the will of George Washington Cullum, the vice president of the Society, and is awarded "to those who distinguish themselves by ...

of the

, awarded in 1999 for "geographical discoveries, or in the advancement of geographical science". *The

Scottish Geographical Medal The Scottish Geographical Medal is the highest accolade of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, awarded for conspicuous merit and a performance of world-wide repute. This was awarded first in 1890 as the Gold Medal, and from 1933 as the Scotti ...

of the

Royal Scottish Geographical Society The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is an educational charity based in Perth, Scotland founded in 1884. The purpose of the society is to advance the subject of geography worldwide, inspire people to learn more about the world around ...

, awarded in 2004 for "conspicuous merit and a performance of world-wide repute". *In 2016 (at the age of 93) he received the

for ''The Past Is a Foreign Country—Revisited'' (Cambridge University Press, 2015). The medal honors "a landmark academic achievement which has transformed understanding in the humanities and social sciences" in a book that explores "the manifold ways in which history engages, illuminates and deceives us in the here and now". *

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

(1965). *

Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in the United Kingdom # C ...

(2001),Trevor Barnes FBA and Hugh Clout FBA
"Professor David Lowenthal FBA, 1923-2018"
The British Academy Fellows, 31 October 2019. *Honorary Doctorate,

Memorial University of Newfoundland Memorial University of Newfoundland, also known as Memorial University or MUN (), is a public university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook, elsewhere in Newfoundland and ...

(2008) *Forbes Lecture Prize from the

International Institute for Conservation The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC) is a global organisation for conservation and restoration professionals with over two thousand members in over fifty countries. IIC seeks to promote the knowledge, ...

(2010). *

University of Mary Washington The University of Mary Washington (UMW) is a public liberal arts university in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the Fredericksburg Teachers College, the institution was named Mary Washington College in 1938 after Mary Ball Washingt ...

Center for Historic Preservation 1989 Book Prize for ''The Past Is a Foreign Country.''

Selected bibliography

* '' West Indian Societies'' (1972) * ''The Past Is a Foreign Country'' (1985) * ''The Heritage Crusade and the Spoils of History'' (1996) * ''No Liberty for License'' (1997) * ''Shakespeare and the Good Life'' (1997) * ''The Past Is a Foreign Country – Revisited'' (2015) * ''Shakespeare's Thought'' (2017) * ''Quest for the Unity of Knowledge'' (2018)

Biography

Career

Contributions

Recognition

Selected bibliography

References

Further reading