Name Peter Floud | Died January 22, 1960 | |
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Education Gresham's School, Wadham College, Oxford | ||
Peter Castle Floud (1 June 1911 - 22 January 1960) was a British civil servant and official of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, administering missions in Egypt, Iran, and Albania. He was also an authority on William Morris.
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Early life
The elder son of Sir Francis Floud KCB KCSI, KCMG, DCL,he was born together with twin sister Molly (m. du Sautoy) on 1 June 1911. Peter Floud was the brother of the politician Bernard Floud. Both brothers were educated at Gresham's School, Holt, and Wadham College, Oxford.
After graduating in 1931 Peter passed the Civil Service Examination for admission to the administrative class. He was admitted to the London School of Economics for research in the history of the industrial arts in Britain with special reference to the work of William Morris.
In 1938 he married the sociologist Jean MacDonald (CBE) with whom he had three children, Andrew, Frances and Esther.
Career outline
The Department of Circulation, Victoria and Albert Museum
More information on the Circulation Department Floud joined the staff of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1935 as an Assistant Keeper in the Department of Circulation. He broke off his work with the museum on the outbreak of war but returned following the completion of his secondment to the Department of Home Security and was made head of the Department of Circulation. Together with a team of three women, - Barbara Morris, Shirley Bury and Elizabeth Aslin - Peter broke important ground in the study of the history of industrial arts. The great achievement of this team was a ground-breaking exhibition titled 'Victorian and Edwardian Decorative Arts,' which was staged in 1952. It proved unexpectedly popular with the public and put the V&A at the forefront of the revival of interest in Victorian progressive design. Peter's work for the museum was recognised in 1954 by his appointment as CBE. In 1955 he was made a Governor of the National Museum of Wales as part of his museum work.
Death
Peter Floud died on 22 January 1960, aged 48, from an inoperable brain tumor.