Paul Oliver
Encyclopedia
- For the Saints backup free safety, see Paul Oliver (American football)Paul Oliver (American football)Paul J. Oliver is an American football safety for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League...
.
Paul Oliver (born Paul Hereford Oliver, 25 May 1927, Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is an architectural historian and writer on the blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and other forms of African-American music. His commentary and research into blues have been influential.
Biography
Oliver was a researcher at the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development (Department of Architecture, Oxford Brookes UniversityDepartment of Architecture, Oxford Brookes University
Founded in 1927, the School of Architecture in the Faculty of Technology, Design & the Environment at Oxford Brookes University is one of the largest architecture schools in the UK, with around 600 students and 70 staff.-The school:...
), and from 1978-88 was Associate Head of the School of Architecture. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
(1999) and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Gloucestershire
University of Gloucestershire
The University of Gloucestershire is a university primarily based in Gloucestershire, England, spread over four campuses, three in Cheltenham and one in Gloucester...
(2007). He has argued that vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
will be necessary in the future to "ensure sustainability in both cultural and economic terms beyond the short term." He is well known for his 1997 work Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World
Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World
The Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World is a three-volume encyclopedia detailing the traditional architecture of the world, by cultural region...
. Spanning 3 volumes and 2500 pages, it includes contributions from researchers from 80 countries. , he was at work on a book to be called the World Atlas of Vernacular Architecture.
He is also a leading authority on the blues. His studies of American traditional music
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
did much to spread interest in the blues and included early research into the influence of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic music from North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
on its origins
Origins of the blues
Little is known about the exact origin of the music now known as the blues. No specific year can be cited as the origin of the blues, largely because the style evolved over a long period of time and existed in approaching its modern form before the term blues was introduced, before the...
. His work, which began in the 1950s, includes interviews, field work and research in recording and printed sources tracing the origin and development of African American music and culture from the time of slavery and before.
Oliver's Collection of African American Music and Related Traditions was established in 2007 with the support of the European Blues Association at the University of Gloucestershire
University of Gloucestershire
The University of Gloucestershire is a university primarily based in Gloucestershire, England, spread over four campuses, three in Cheltenham and one in Gloucester...
.