Celebrating Hampshire Historians

Harvey, John Hooper

1911 - 1997

John Hooper Harvey trained as an architect under his father and under Sir Herbert Baker. He worked before WW2 for the Ministry of Public Works, then as a lecturer in the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College, London from 1950-1959. He was Consultant Architect to Winchester College from 1947 to 1986, and Keeper of Archives at the college from 1949 to 1963.

He wrote and published widely on architecture, particularly medieval architects and their work, on garden history and also on the conservation of ancient buildings. He has been described as ‘the most prolific and arguably the most influential writer on Gothic architecture in the post-war years’.

At Winchester College, he was responsible for a major restoration programme of the ancient buildings, and at the same time, he researched most aspects of their history. He was also involved with the recovery and restoration of the College’s ancient glass and the 17th century paneling from the chapel.

As archivist, Harvey oversaw the cataloguing project undertaken by Sheila Himsworth which resulted in the publication of the three volumes of Winchester College Muniments: A Descriptive List in the 1970s and 1980s.

Harvey was elected a fellow of the Society of Genealogists in 1939, the Royal Society of Literature in 1945, and the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1949. He served on the Council of the Ancient Monuments Society for some 30 years from 1960 and as President of the Garden History Society from 1982 to 1985. The University of York awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1976 and he was also granted the status of an Honorary Old Wykehamist by Winchester College.

Sources

Winchester College A Register 2014, ed Maclure and Stevens, (Winchester, 2014)

Portrait

Contribution to county’s history

Extensive research and writing on all aspects of the history and development of Winchester College, particularly its buildings and stained glass 

Relevant published works

• Harvey, J. H. (1962) Thurbern’s Chantry at Winchester College, Antiquaries Journal, xlii, 1962;

• Harvey, J. H. (1965) Winchester College, Journal of the Archaeological Association, 3rd Series, Vol XXVIII, 1965

• Harvey, J. H. (1971) Winchester College Stained Glass, in Archaeologia, ciii, 1971;

• Harvey, J. H.(1976) Winchester College Muniments: A Descriptive List, Volume 1  Chichester, 1976

• Harvey, J. H. (1982) The Buildings of Winchester College, in  Custance, R (ed) Winchester College: Sixth Centenary Essays, OUP

Critical Comments

Other Comments

His archive relating to his work at Winchester College is held in the archives there, along with copies of most of his publications.

Contributor

Suzanne Foster, archivist at Winchester College, Oct 2021

Key Words

Winchester College, Medieval architects, Medieval architecture, Stained glass

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