ASCHB – The Association For Studies In The Conservation Of Historic Buildings – has informed members that Ian Bristow, leading authority on historic paint colours and ASCHB’s first Treasurer, ‘died suddenly and unexpectedly last week’.
Sherry Bates, ASCHB Chairman, has written to members as follows:
I tell you with great sadness that Ian Bristow died suddenly and unexpectedly last week.
He was a great champion of ASCHB and all that we do. Many of you will have known him personally. He attended the recent lectures on mortars at Cowcross Street just a few weeks ago. Ian encouraged me to join the committee and in due course I followed in his august footsteps as chair.
In 1970, he joined ASCHB and then became Hon Treasurer at the first AGM. He served as Chairman from 1990 to 2009 and was President for 2014 and 2015. He remained an active member, attending a meeting in great form in the week before his death. He lives on as the originator of the ASCHB logotype.
Ian was the most prolific contributor to ASCHB Transactions, as the author or co-author of 13 articles between Volume 4 in 1980 and Volume 38 in 2016 and the first ASCHB conference was held under his aegis in 1999.
He was a leading authority on historic paint colours, a specialist consultant on the restoration of historic interiors and author of Architectural Colour in British Interiors, 1615-1840 (Yale, 1996) and Interior House Painting Colours and Technology, 1615-1840 (Yale, 1996).
He lectured extensively on historic paint analysis and the redecoration of the historic interior and was closely involved with the conservation course at the Architectural Association.
A tribute to Ian will be posted on our website and a longer article will be included in the next issue of Transactions.
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