Ernest Gardner (art historian)
Ernest Arthur Gardner (16 May 1878 – 29 January 1972) was an English writer, art historian and photographer with a particular focus on medieval sculpture and architecture. Early life. Ernest Arthur Gardner was born in Harrow on the Hill to the antiquary Samuel Gardner. He graduated in 1901 from King's College, Cambridge, and entered the family business afterwards. He remained working there for 40 years. Career. Ernest Arthur Gardner significantly contributed to the study of medieval architecture and sculpture. Gardner's publications, particularly his broad surveys of medieval sculpture, are most famous for their ability to  effectively and succinctly synthesise existing material, research and findings of other academics on the topic. Gardner was also able to make medieval art more accessible to the wider public through offering sumptuous illustrations in his works, many of which became standardised academic textbooks. Photography. Gardner learned photography from his father and travelled throughout Europe and the British Isles, photographing medieval monuments and buildings for his impressive photographic collection. Many of the sites Gardner photographed have since been destroyed or rebuilt, making his photographic collection particularly valuable for scholars and the public today. This collection has been contributed to the Conway  Library of the Courtauld Institute of Art, and is currently being digitised by the Courtauld Institute of Art, as part of the Courtauld Connects project. Publications. Some of his publications include: