Bernard Adams

Background

Bernard Adams was born on June 26, 1915, in Carshalton, Surrey, United Kingdom.

Education

Bernard Adams studied at Westminster School.

Career

Bernard Adams did not get the chance to study for a degree, but after a period of schoolteaching and brief service in the Royal Air Force he joined the staff of Cambridge University Library.

Then Adams joined the British Council, where he worked as a librarian from 1946 to 1976, becoming a Fellow of the Library Association in 1953.

While working at the British Council library, Adams became fascinated with the history of London’s topography, a subject he was better able to pursue after retirement in 1976. His extensive research resulted in the book "London Illustrated, 16041851: A Survey and Index of Topographical Books and Their Plates", which was published in 1983.

In addition to his interest in London, Adams was also a scholar of the Italian Renaissance.

Achievements

• Bernard Adams devoted his life to library work.
  
  He became an authority on London’s topography due to many years of studying the views of London in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Adams' deep knowledge of this topic allowed him to write a book.
  
  

Membership

• Library Association , United Kingdom

  1953

Interests

• London’s topography, Italian Renaissance