James Mann

Who is James Mann?

Sir James Gow Mann KCVO, MA was an eminent figure in the art world in the mid twentieth century, specialising in the study of armour.

He was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford and served in the World War I from 1916 to 1919 with the Royal Artillery. He was Assistant-Keeper of the Department of Fine Art at the Ashmolean and then Reader in the History of Art at the University of London before becoming Director of the Wallace Collection in 1936. He was Master of the Armouries at The Tower of London from 1939 and Surveyor of the Queen’s Works of Art from 1952; and held both posts until his death.