David Cannadine
Encyclopedia
Sir David Nicholas Cannadine, FBA
(born 7 September 1950) is a British historian, known for a number of books, including The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy and Ornamentalism
. He is also notable as a commentator and broadcaster on British public life, especially the monarchy. He serves as the generaleditor of the Penguin History of Europe series. He was at the University of London
from 1998 to 2003 working at the Institute of Historical Research
but is currently a professor
at Princeton University
.
, Cannadine attended King Edward VI Five Ways
school there. He read history at Clare College, Cambridge
, and wrote a doctorate on the history of the development of the Calthorpe Estate, Edgbaston
, Birmingham, while at St John's College, Oxford
, supervised by Peter Mathias
. He also studied at Princeton University
.
From 1975-1977 he was a junior research fellow at St John's College, Cambridge
before being appointed University Lecturer and Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge
in 1977. While never a student of J. H. Plumb
at Christ's, Cannadine was influenced by him.
From 1992-1998, he was Moore Collegiate Professor of History at Columbia University
in New York City
. In 1998 he became director of the Institute of Historical Research
, University of London
. In 2003 he was selected for the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Professor of British History there. In 2005 he was awarded an honorary fellowship at Christ's College.
Since 2005 he has been Chair of the National Portrait Gallery. He gave the first annual Jubilee lecture at King Edward VI Five Ways
school. In 2006 he was appointed Chair of English Heritage
's Blue Plaques Panel. In June 2011 it was announced he would join the professoriate of New College of the Humanities
, a private college in London, though he will teach for just one hour during the first academic year.
in the 2009 New Year Honours for services to education.
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
(born 7 September 1950) is a British historian, known for a number of books, including The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy and Ornamentalism
Ornamentalism
Ornamentalism: How the British Saw Their Empire is a book by David Cannadine about British perceptions of the British Empire. Cannadine argues that class, rank and status were more important to the British Empire than race The title of the work Ornamentalism is a direct reference to Edward Said's...
. He is also notable as a commentator and broadcaster on British public life, especially the monarchy. He serves as the generaleditor of the Penguin History of Europe series. He was at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
from 1998 to 2003 working at the Institute of Historical Research
Institute of Historical Research
The Institute of Historical Research is a British educational organisation providing resources and training for historical researchers. It is part of the School of Advanced Study in the University of London and is located at Senate House. The Institute was founded in 1921 by A. F...
but is currently a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
.
Life
Born in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Cannadine attended King Edward VI Five Ways
King Edward VI Five Ways
King Edward VI Five Ways is a selective, humanities specialist grammar school located in the Bartley Green area of south Birmingham, England. As of April 2008, the school has a second specialism, a specialist Science College.-Background:...
school there. He read history at Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College, Cambridge
Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...
, and wrote a doctorate on the history of the development of the Calthorpe Estate, Edgbaston
Edgbaston
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
, Birmingham, while at St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, supervised by Peter Mathias
Peter Mathias
Peter Mathias is a British economic historian. He attended Colston's School and Bristol Grammar School where he became interested in history. In December 1945, he applied for a scholarship at King's College, Cambridge; instead he won an Exhibition at Jesus College, Cambridge during Summer 1946...
. He also studied at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
.
From 1975-1977 he was a junior research fellow at St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
before being appointed University Lecturer and Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
in 1977. While never a student of J. H. Plumb
J. H. Plumb
Sir John Harold Plumb, FBA , known as Jack, was a British historian, known for his books on British 18th century history. He wrote over thirty books.-Biography:...
at Christ's, Cannadine was influenced by him.
From 1992-1998, he was Moore Collegiate Professor of History at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1998 he became director of the Institute of Historical Research
Institute of Historical Research
The Institute of Historical Research is a British educational organisation providing resources and training for historical researchers. It is part of the School of Advanced Study in the University of London and is located at Senate House. The Institute was founded in 1921 by A. F...
, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. In 2003 he was selected for the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Professor of British History there. In 2005 he was awarded an honorary fellowship at Christ's College.
Since 2005 he has been Chair of the National Portrait Gallery. He gave the first annual Jubilee lecture at King Edward VI Five Ways
King Edward VI Five Ways
King Edward VI Five Ways is a selective, humanities specialist grammar school located in the Bartley Green area of south Birmingham, England. As of April 2008, the school has a second specialism, a specialist Science College.-Background:...
school. In 2006 he was appointed Chair of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
's Blue Plaques Panel. In June 2011 it was announced he would join the professoriate of New College of the Humanities
New College of the Humanities
New College of the Humanities is a proposed new private for-profit undergraduate college in London, England, the creation of which was announced in June 2011 by the philosopher A.C. Grayling, its founder and first master...
, a private college in London, though he will teach for just one hour during the first academic year.
Legacy and honors
Cannadine was knightedKnight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 2009 New Year Honours for services to education.
Works
- Lords and Landlords; the aristocracy and the towns, 1774-1967 (1980)
- Patricians, Power and Politics in nineteenth-century Towns (1982) (editor)
- The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy (1990)
- The Pleasures of the Past (1991)
- G.M. Trevelyan: A Life in History (1992)
- Aspects of Aristocracy: Grandeur and Decline in Modern Britain (1994)
- The Rise and Fall of Class in Britain (1998)
- History in Our Time (1998)
- Ornamentalism: How the British Saw Their EmpireOrnamentalismOrnamentalism: How the British Saw Their Empire is a book by David Cannadine about British perceptions of the British Empire. Cannadine argues that class, rank and status were more important to the British Empire than race The title of the work Ornamentalism is a direct reference to Edward Said's...
(2001) - In Churchill's Shadow: Confronting the Past in Modern Britain (2002)
- What Is History Now? (2002) (editor)
- Admiral Lord Nelson: Context and Legacy (2005) (editor)
- Mellon: An American Life (2006)
- Empire, The Sea and Global History: Britain's Maritime World 1763-1833 (2007) (editor)
External links
- Official page
- Short biography
- Interview
- Directory of Fellows of the British AcademyBritish AcademyThe British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...