Reginald Stuart Poole
Encyclopedia
Reginald Stuart Poole was an English
archaeologist and orientalist
.
, he was the son of the Rev. Edward Poole, a well-known bibliophile. His parents became estranged during his early childhood, and his mother, Sophia Lane Poole
, took her sons to Egypt to live with her brother, the Orientalist Edward William Lane
. During their seven-year residence in Cairo from 1842 to 1849, Lane Poole wrote The Englishwoman in Egypt, while her son was imbibing an early taste for Egypt
ian antiquities.
In 1852 he became an assistant in the British Museum
, and was assigned to the department of coins and medals, of which in 1870 he became keeper. In that capacity he did work of the highest value, alike as a writer, teacher and administrator. In 1882 he was largely responsible for founding the Egypt Exploration Fund, and in 1884 for starting the Society of English Medallists. He was for some time professor of archaeology at University College, London; and also lecturer at the Royal Academy
. In 1883 he received an honorary degree from Cambridge University.
He retired in 1893, and died in 1895.
, on Egypt, Hieroglyphics and Numismatics; he also wrote for Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, and published volumes dealing with his special subjects.
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...
archaeologist and orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
.
Life
Born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he was the son of the Rev. Edward Poole, a well-known bibliophile. His parents became estranged during his early childhood, and his mother, Sophia Lane Poole
Sophia Lane Poole
Sophia Lane Poole was the author of The Englishwoman in Egypt: Letters from Cairo, written during a residence there in 1842, 3 & 4, with E.W...
, took her sons to Egypt to live with her brother, the Orientalist Edward William Lane
Edward William Lane
Edward William Lane was a British Orientalist, translator and lexicographer....
. During their seven-year residence in Cairo from 1842 to 1849, Lane Poole wrote The Englishwoman in Egypt, while her son was imbibing an early taste for Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian antiquities.
In 1852 he became an assistant in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, and was assigned to the department of coins and medals, of which in 1870 he became keeper. In that capacity he did work of the highest value, alike as a writer, teacher and administrator. In 1882 he was largely responsible for founding the Egypt Exploration Fund, and in 1884 for starting the Society of English Medallists. He was for some time professor of archaeology at University College, London; and also lecturer at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
. In 1883 he received an honorary degree from Cambridge University.
He retired in 1893, and died in 1895.
Works
Some of Poole's best work was done in his articles for the 9th edition of the Encyclopædia BritannicaEncyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
, on Egypt, Hieroglyphics and Numismatics; he also wrote for Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, and published volumes dealing with his special subjects.