James Stevens Curl (born 26 March 1937) is an architectural historian, architect, and author with an extensive range of publications to his name.

Early life and education

The son of George Stevens Curl (1903–1974), who worked as an inspector of agents for the Eagle Star Insurance Company, and Sarah (née McKinney), Curl was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was educated at Campbell College, Belfast, at Queen's University Belfast, and at Belfast College of Art before studying at the Oxford School of Architecture (now part of Oxford Brookes University) where he qualified in Architecture (1963) and – having studied under Arthur Korn – in Town Planning (1967). He read for his doctorate at University College London, which he received in 1981.

Career

Curl is Professor at the School of Architecture and Design, Ulster University, Professor Emeritus at De Montfort University, Leicester, and has been a Visiting Fellow at Peterhouse, Cambridge (1991–92, 2002). An honorary Doctor of Arts degree was conferred on him by De Montfort University in 2014 in recognition of his "distinctive contribution to the study of Architectural History" and of his "outstanding contributions to the intellectual and cultural life of the nation and the region".

Honours

Curl is a Member of the Royal Irish Academy, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, a Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, a member of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects of the City of London. In September 2017, he was awarded the President's Medal of the British Academy "for his contribution to the study of the History of Architecture in Britain and Ireland".

Memberships

Curl was the first Chairman of Oxford Civic Society, which was founded in 1969. He is Joint Patron of the Mausolea and Monuments Trust, President of the Friends of Southampton Old Cemetery, a Vice-President of the Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery, a member of the Art Workers' Guild, and a member of the Oxford & Cambridge Club.

Personal life

In 1960, Curl married psychiatrist Eileen Elizabeth Blackstock; they had two daughters. His second marriage, in 1993, was to Professor (Stanisława) Dorota Iwaniec.

Selected works