{{Short description|English art historian and museum curator}} {{for|the Australian rower|Karl Parker (rower)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}} {{Use British English|date=July 2015}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Sir Karl Parker | honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE|FBA}} | image = | image_size = | caption = | order = | office = Keeper of the [[Ashmolean Museum]] | term_start = 1945 | term_end = 1962 | predecessor = [[Edward Thurlow Leeds]] | successor = [[Robert Hamilton (archaeologist)|Robert Hamilton]] <!-- Personal --> | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = 2 July 1895 | birth_place = | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|22 July 1992|2 July 1895}} | death_place = | citizenship = <!-- use only when necessary per [[WP:INFONAT]] --> | party = | spouse = | partner = <!--For those with a domestic partner and not married--> | relations = | education = | alma_mater = [[University of Freiburg]] <br /> [[University of Zürich]] | occupation = | profession = | known_for = | committees = | portfolio = | awards = }}
'''Sir Karl Theodore Parker''', {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CBE|FBA}} (2 July 1895 – 22 July 1992), occasionally known as '''KTP''', was an English [[art historian]] and [[museum curator]]. He was Keeper of the [[Ashmolean Museum]], [[Oxford]] from 1945 to 1962 and Trustee of the [[National Gallery]] from 1962 to 1969.
==Early life and education== Parker was born on 2 July 1895 in [[Marylebone]], [[London]], England. He was the younger son of Robert William Parker, a surgeon, and Marie Amélie Parker (née Lüling). He was educated at the [[Private schools in the United Kingdom|private]] [[Bedford School]], and the [[Lycée]] [[Lycée Saint-Louis|Saint-Louis]], [[Paris]]. He then studied [[chemistry]] at the German [[University of Freiburg]]. He went on to study at the [[University of Zürich]] where he presented a [[doctoral thesis]] on "Oliver Cromwell's reputation traced through English literature."<ref name="Independent - obit">{{cite news|last=Lowe|first=Ian|title=Obituary: Sir Karl Parker|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-sir-karl-parker-1535879.html|access-date=6 July 2013|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=27 July 1992}}</ref><ref name="Oxford DNB bio">{{cite ODNB|last=Harrison|first=Colin|title=Parker, Sir Karl Theodore (1895–1992)|id=51272 |date=May 2006}}</ref> He was awarded an [[honorary degree|honorary]] [[Doctor of Letters]] (DLitt) degree by the [[University of Oxford]] in 1972.<ref name="bio DAH" />
==Career== Having spent much of his time while at university in [[print room]]s and art galleries, Parker began volunteering in the print room of the [[British Museum]] upon his return to England in 1924.<ref name="Oxford DNB bio" /> In 1925, he achieved employment at the British Museum as an assistant keeper in its print room.<ref name="Oxford DNB bio" /> He became an expert in [[Old Master]] drawings,<ref name="Oxford DNB bio" /> and served as general editor of the ''Drawings of the Masters'' series from its inception in 1926 until it ended in 1940.<ref name="Oxford DNB bio" /><ref name="bio DAH">{{cite web |title=Parker, Karl Theodore, Sir |url=https://arthistorians.info/parkerk/ |website=Dictionary of Art Historians |access-date=2 November 2024}}</ref>
In 1934, Parker joined the [[Ashmolean Museum]], [[University of Oxford]], as keeper of the Department of Fine Art.<ref name="Independent - obit" /> During the [[Second World War]], he oversaw the movement of the works held by the museum to [[Chastleton House]], a country house in Oxfordshire.<ref name="bio DAH" /> He additionally served as [[Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum]] (i.e., head of the whole museum) between 1945 and 1962.<ref name="WWW">'Parker, Sir Karl (Theodore)', ''[[Who Was Who]]'', A & C Black, an imprint of [[Bloomsbury Publishing]] plc, 1920–2016; online edn, [[Oxford University Press]], 2014; online edn, April 2014 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U174674 accessed 12 Sept 2017]</ref> Having then retired, he maintained a link with the art world as a [[trustee]] of the [[National Gallery]], serving as such between 1962 and 1969.<ref name="Independent - obit" />
==Personal life== On 14 January 1928, Parker married Audrey Isabel James (born 1906 or 1907), daughter of Henry Ashworth James, of [[Herstmonceux Place]], Herstmonceux, Sussex. They had two daughters, Lavinia and Caroline. Together they had two daughters, Lavinia and Caroline.<ref name="Oxford DNB bio" /> His wife predeceased him, dying in 1976.<ref name="Independent - obit" />
==Honours== In the [[1954 Queen's Birthday Honours]], he was appointed a [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in recognition of his service as Keeper of the [[Ashmolean Museum]], [[University of Oxford]].<ref name="LG 40188">{{London Gazette |issue= 40188 |date= 1 June 1954 |pages= 3267–3268 |supp= y }}</ref> In the [[1960 New Year Honours]], he was appointed a [[Knight Bachelor]], in recognition of further service as Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, and therefore granted the [[title]] ''[[sir]]''.<ref name="LG 41909">{{London Gazette |issue= 41909 |date= 29 December 1959 |page= 2 |supp= y }}</ref> He [[Accolade|received the accolade]] from [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]] (acting on behalf of [[Queen Elizabeth II]]) during a ceremony at [[Buckingham Palace]] on 9 February 1960.<ref name="LG 41953">{{London Gazette |issue= 41953 |date= 12 February 1960 |page= 41953 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{cite journal|title=Karl Parker 1895-1992|last=MacAndrew|first=Hugh|date=December 1992|journal=[[The Burlington Magazine]]|volume=134|issue=1077|page=810|jstor=885355}} * [http://www.dictionaryofarthistorians.org/parkerk.htm Biography], ''[[Dictionary of Art Historians]]'' * [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-sir-karl-parker-1535879.html Obituary], ''[[The Independent]]''
{{Ashmolean Museum keepers and directors}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Karl}} [[Category:1895 births]] [[Category:1992 deaths]] [[Category:People from Marylebone]] [[Category:People educated at Bedford School]] [[Category:Lycée Saint-Louis alumni]] [[Category:University of Freiburg alumni]] [[Category:University of Zurich alumni]] [[Category:Knights Bachelor]] [[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Fellows of the British Academy]] [[Category:English curators]] [[Category:English art historians]] [[Category:Employees of the British Museum]] [[Category:People associated with the National Gallery, London]] [[Category:People associated with the Ashmolean Museum]] [[Category:Keepers and directors of the Ashmolean Museum]]