Ballot Archive

31 Oct 2024

Candidate Details

Candidate Name

John Benjamin

Academic degrees, honours etc.

Freeman, Goldsmiths' Company. Middle Warden and will be Master, Company of Arts Scholars

Profession or occupation

Jewellery historian and consultant

Grounds for election

John has specialised in antique jewellery for over fifty years. He served as International Director of Jewellery for Philips Son & Neale from 1976 to 1999 and has since practiced independently. He is well known as an expert on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow and he regularly lectures on jewellery as well as being the author of numerous articles and books, the latter including Arts and Crafts to Art Deco: The Jewellery and Silver of H G Murphy (with Paul Atterbury, 2005). He plays an active part in the Society of Jewellery Historians and the Company of Arts Scholars, of which he is currently Middle Warden. Since 2019 he has served as the National Trust's Honarary Advisor on Silver and has transformed the understanding of its holdings, revealing numerous unrecognised treasures. He is currently working on an associated exhibition, as co-curator and to be held at Waddesdon Manor. He will also be the author of an accompanying publication.

Signatories

The following Fellows have signed this Blue Paper