David Lowenthal
David Lowenthal (born 1923) is an American historian and geographer. He is renowned for his work on heritage and spatial concepts of the past and future. He is Emeritus Professor of Geography at University College London.[1]
Biography
Lowenthal earned his PhD in History from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Prior to this he graduated with a B.S. in History from Harvard University in 1944 and an M.A. in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley in 1950.[2]
Contribution
He is a specialist on the 19th century North American philologist, geographer and environmentalist George Perkins Marsh, whose work laid the foundations of the environmental conservation movement in the United States of America.[3] He has advised international heritage agencies and institutions, including UNESCO, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the International Council of Museums, ICCROM, the Getty Conservation Institute, the World Monuments Fund, the Council of Europe, Europa Nostra, English Heritage, the U.S. National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Trust of Australia, and the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage.[4] His historical analysis of the ever-changing role of the past in shaping our lives, The Past is a Foreign Country (1985), is widely considered to be a classic text.[5][6]
Recognition
Lowenthal has been awarded several medals by institutions around the world. These include:
- The Victoria Medal of the Royal Geographical Society, awarded in 1997 "for conspicuous merit in research in geography".[7]
- The Cullum Geographical Medal of the American Geographical Society , awarded in 1999 for “geographical discoveries, or in the advancement of geographical science”.[8]
- The Scottish Geographical Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, awarded in 2004 for “conspicuous merit and a performance of world-wide repute”.[9]
In 1965, Lowenthal received a Guggenheim Fellowship.[10] He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2001,[11] received an Honorary Doctorate from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2008[12] and was awarded the Forbes Lecture Prize by the International Institute for Conservation in 2010.[13][14]
Books
Lowenthal has published various key texts in the field of historical geography. These include The Past is a Foreign Country (1985/2015), The Heritage Crusade and the Spoils of History (1996), George Perkins Marsh: Prophet of Conservation (2000) and Passage du Temps sur le Paysage' (2008).[15]
Further reading
- Gold, J.-R. (2009). "Lowenthal, D.". In Kitchin, Rob; Thrift, Nigel (eds.). International Encyclopedia of Human Geography. Elsevier. pp. 298–299. doi:10.1016/B978-008044910-4.00627-1. ISBN 978-0-08-044910-4.
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References
- ^ UCL IRIS, Institutional Research Information Service, Prof David Lowenthal [1]
- ^ International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Resources, Forbes Prize Lecture 2010 [2]
- ^ Landscape Research Group, About Us, Directors, David Lowenthal
- ^ International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Resources, Forbes Prize Lecture 2010 [3]
- ^ Harvard Graduate School, Events Calendar, Sylvester Baxter Lecture: David Lowenthal, "Conservation Past and Present" [4]
- ^ University College London, Department of Geography, David Lowenthal at 90 [5]
- ^ Royal Geographical Society, Medals and Awards, Full List
- ^ American Geographical Society, About Us, Awards, The Cullum Geographical Medal [6]
- ^ Royal Scottish Geographical Society, Medals of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, Scottish Geographical Medal [7]
- ^ John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, Fellows [8]
- ^ British Academy, Fellowship. Fellows Directory, British Academy Fellows [9]
- ^ University College London, Department of Geography, Professor Lowenthal to receive Honorary Doctorate [10]
- ^ International Institute for Conservation of Historic Artistic Works and Resources, Forbes Lecture Prize 2010 [11]
- ^ University College London, Department of Geography, David Lowenthal delivers Forbes Lecture Prize [12]
- ^ British Academy, Fellowship, Fellows Directory, British Academy Fellowship [13]
