James Arthur Bennett,FSA,FRAS(2 April 1947 – 28 October 2023[3]) was a Britishmuseum curatorandhistorian of science.[4][2]Bennett's interests lay in thehistoryof practicalmathematicsfrom the 16th century to the 18th century,scientific instrumentsandastronomy.[5]
Jim Bennett | |
|---|---|
 Bennett on his retirement in 2012[1] | |
| Born | 2 April 1947 Belfast,Northern Ireland |
| Died | 28 October 2023(aged 76) Oxford,England |
| Other names | James Arthur Bennett |
| Occupation | Museum curator |
| Years active | 20th–21st century |
| Known for | Director of history of science museums inCambridgeandOxford |
| Awards | Paul Bunge Prize,German Chemical Society(2001); PhysicsEstoire Prize,European Physical Society(2018); George Sarton Medal,History of Science Society(2020); Agnes Mary Clerke Medal,Royal Astronomical Society(2023)[2] |
| Academic background | |
| Education | Grosvenor High School(Belfast) |
| Alma mater | Clare College,University of Cambridge |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Historian of science |
| Sub-discipline | History of scientific instruments and astronomy |
| Institutions | Whipple Museum of the History of Science(Cambridge) Museum of the History of Science,(Oxford) |
| Main interests | 16–18th centuryscientific instrumentsandastronomy |
| Notable works | London's Leonardo: The Life and Work of Robert Hooke(2003);The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science(2003) |
Early life and education
editBennett was educated atGrosvenor High School,agrammar schoolinBelfast,Northern Ireland.[6]He studied atClare College, Cambridge,graduating withBachelor of Arts(BA) degree in 1969.[6]He undertook aDoctor of Philosophy(PhD) degree in theDepartment of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge,which he completed in 1974.[6][7]Hisdoctoral thesiswas titled "Studies in the life and work ofSir Christopher Wren".[7]
Career
editBennett was subsequently a fellow and senior tutor ofChurchill Collegeand curator of theWhipple Museum of the History of Science,both part ofCambridge University.His work in Cambridge included hands-on use of scientific and navigational instruments, using the Whipple collection to teach undergraduates how instruments worked, and gaining insight into the difficulties faced by the historical teachers of those instruments.
Bennett was Director of theMuseum of the History of ScienceatOxford University(since renamed theHistory of Science Museum).[8]He was appointed on 1 October 1994, on the retirement of the previous director,Francis Maddison,[9]and retired on 30 September 2012. He was also a fellow of the Faculty of History[10]andLinacre College.In 2010, the University of Oxford gave him the title Professor of the History of Science. Under his leadership at the museum, the visitor figures increased from 25,000 to 180,000.[4]He was an early adopter of theWorld Wide Webwith a website for the museum, including online exhibitions such asThe Measurersin 1995.[11]
In 2016, Bennett became the president of theHakluyt Society.He also held the position of Keeper Emeritus at theScience Museum, London.[12]In addition, Bennett was President of theBritish Society for the History of Scienceand President of the Scientific Instrument Commission of theInternational Union of History and Philosophy of Science.[13][14]He also appeared in television documentaries.[15]
In 1976, Bennett was elected aFellow of the Royal Astronomical Society(FRAS).[6]He was also elected aFellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London(FSA) on 3 March 1989.[16]
Selected publications
edit- The Mathematical Science of Christopher Wren,J.A. Bennett. Cambridge, 1982
- The Divided Circle: A History of Instruments for Astronomy, Navigation and Surveying,Jim Bennett. Oxford, 1987.
- Church, State and Astronomy in Ireland, 200 Years of Armagh Observatory,Jim Bennett. Belfast, 1990.
- The Garden, the Ark, the Tower, the Temple. Biblical Metaphors of Knowledge in Early Modern Europe,Jim Bennett and S. Mandelbrote. Oxford, 1998.
- Practical Geometry and Operative Knowledge,Jim Bennett.Configurations,6,1998.
- London'sLeonardo:The Life and Work ofRobert Hooke,Jim Bennett, Michael Cooper, Michael Hunter andLisa Jardine.Oxford University Press,2003.ISBN0-19-852579-6.[17][18]
- Catalogue of Surveying and Related Instruments,Jim Bennett, Sillabe Srl, Livorno, Italy, 2022.ISBN978-88-3340-322-9
- As editor
- The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science,John L. Heilbron(editor-in-chief), Jim Bennett, Frederic L. Holmes,Rachel Laudanand Giuliano Pancaldi (eds).Oxford University Press,2003.ISBN0-19-511229-6.
References
edit- ^"Jim Bennett Retires".Inside HSM Oxford.History of Science Museum, Oxford.28 September 2012.Retrieved2 November2023.
- ^ab"Jim Bennett (1947–2023)".UK: Department of History and Philosophy of Science,University of Cambridge.Retrieved13 November2023.
- ^Nall, Jishua (30 December 2023)."Jim Bennett obituary".The Guardian.p. 8.Retrieved19 December2023.
- ^abAckermann, Silke;Johnston, Stephen (30 October 2023)."Celebrating the life of Professor Jim Bennett".UK:History of Science Museum,University of Oxford.Retrieved1 November2023.
- ^Johnston, Stephen (Spring 2024)."OBITUARY: Jim Bennett (1947–2023): life as a museum practitioner".Science Museum Group Journal.UK.doi:10.15180/242105.
- ^abcd"Bennett, Prof. James Arthur".Who's Who.Vol. 2023 (online ed.). A & C Black.doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U12694.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^abBennett, James Arthur (1974).Studies in the life and work of Sir Christopher Wren(PhD thesis). Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge.Retrieved5 November2023.
- ^"Staff".UK:History of Science Museum, Oxford.Archived fromthe originalon 7 July 2011.Retrieved17 December2012.
- ^"Staff Changes".Annual Report of the Museum of History of Science 1994–5.Vol. Supplement (2) toGazetteNo. 4401.Oxford University Gazette.20 May 1996. Archived fromthe originalon 27 February 2018.Retrieved23 February2010.
- ^"Dr Jim Bennett".UK: Faculty of History,University of Oxford.Archived fromthe originalon 16 July 2011.Retrieved17 December2012.
- ^Bowen, Jonathan P.;Bennett, Jim; Johnson, James (April 1998)."Virtual visits to virtual museums".MW'98:Museums and the Web.Archives & Museum Informatics.Retrieved3 November2023.
- ^"BBC In Our Time: Longitude".UK:BBC.Retrieved5 May2021.
- ^"Museum of the History of Science Annual Report".UK: Museum of the History of Science, Oxford. March 2002.Retrieved17 December2012.
- ^"Professor Jim Bennett".cafesci.org.Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2012.Retrieved17 December2012.
- ^Jim BennettatIMDb.
- ^"Fellows: Prof James Bennett".Society of Antiquaries of London.Retrieved5 November2023.
- ^Pugliese, Patri J. (September 2004). "Essay Review: Light on Hooke: London's Leonardo: The Life and Work of Robert Hooke, the Curious Life of Robert Hooke: The Man Who Measured London".History of Science.42(3).Sage Publishing.doi:10.1177/007327530404200305.
- ^McLellan, Neil J. (March 2004). "London's Leonardo: The Life and Work of Robert Hooke".The Quarterly Review of Biology.79(1).The University of Chicago Press.doi:10.1086/421581.