Dr Peter Cannon-Brookes

From his appointment in 1964 to Keeper of Art in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Peter Cannon-Brookes championed the combination of art and science in the museum field around the world for sixty year. Scientific endeavour started at an early age when he and his brothers built a magnetron in the garden shed warranting a visit from a sceptical Porton Down scientist, who urged that it should not be switched on. He gained a place at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, to read Natural Sciences. Whilst an undergraduate he started to hone his lifelong interests in collecting and emerged with an Art History degree; moving on to the Courtauld Institute of Art to conduct research in Italian Renaissance painting for his PhD. Both he and his future wife, Caroline were inspired by the then Director Anthony Blunt and co-authored a book on Baroque churches published in 1969.

Catapulting into a senior curatorial role, he swiftly set about improvements in Birmingham, boldly allowing the press to reveal the poor state and misuse of the art stores. This was followed by the creation of a conservation studio, still a rarity in art galleries and reflecting his passion for practice informed by scientific principles. He was an active member of the Institute of Conservation, latterly a fellow, and taught hands-on curatorial practice to generations of conservators at International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property in Rome.

Whilst in Birmingham, Peter initiated an energetic programme of domestic and international exhibitions. Notable amongst these was the Arts Council ‘Baroque in Bohemia’ shown both in the V&A and Birmingham in 1969. Amongst a growing network of international colleagues, those in Czechoslovakia, proved the strongest both before and after 1989. Numerous exhibitions and publications followed and his contribution to Czech culture was recognised in 2021 with receipt of the Honorary Silver Medal of Jan Masyryk.

An international perspective was core to his professional life, the breadth of his interests reflected in the range of contributions made across the disciplines and areas encompassed by the International Council of Museums, notably museum security, conservation, insurance and data management and included chairing the International Art Exhibitions Committee. All and more were covered in the International Journal of Museum Management and Curatorship of which he and Caroline were founding editors from 1982 until nearly 2000. From scratch they created a global forum for the exchange of professional museum practice.

In 1978, Peter was appointed Curator of Art at the National Museum of Wales with the promise of building a National Gallery. In the event, his eight years in Cardiff were devoted to promoting the contemporary artists with the Welsh Arts Council and raising the profile of the Museum to the world, often through skilfully negotiated purchases.

Echoing the problems earlier encountered in Birmingham, a conservation studio was funded by exhibiting the notable Impressionist collection, donated by the Davies sisters, in Japan. His tenure concluded with the National Museum publishing in international journals news of a settlement along with his departure.

Moving into consultancy initially involved working on data management systems for museums before returning to wider curatorial work, principally with private collections. Approached by Manchester University in the late 1980s, he became consultant curator of the Tabley House Collection, overseeing the creation of a new museum housed in the 18th century Carr of York house. The collection, assembled by the 1st Baron de Tabley and earmarked as the kernal of what is now the National Gallery in London, had to be temporarily housed whilst the house was refurbished. With his customary zeal, Peter applied conservation science experience to create a temporary high thermal interia store in the stables at a tiny fraction of the cost of purpose-built facilities or commercial rental.

Throughout his life, Peter maintained friendships with colleagues and artists. Such relationships often developed after working on exhibitions and involved keeping in touch with families such as that of Maurice Jadot whose widow virtually became a member of the family. His kindness was underpinned by deeply held Christian values, reflected in participation in parish and diocesan work in Oxfordshire. The latter also provided the location to realise his long-standing wish for a Roman town house in the country. This was a place to live, to work and be surrounded by the books and collections in the form of a Gesamtwerk of ideas assembled over the years. Collecting and publishing enabled contacts to be maintained, helped by enthusuastic membership of the Athenaeum Club and the Goldsmiths Company until increasingly housebound after a stroke when visits from friends, cooking for his family and rekindling ideas for projects become the focus of activity.

Peter Cannon-Brookes
23rd August 1938 – 3rd May 2026