Kerry Downes
Kerry John Downes (8 December 1930 – 11 August 2019) was an English architectural historian whose speciality was English Baroque architecture. He was Professor of History of Art, University of Reading, 1978–91, then Emeritus. Early life and education Kerry Downes was born in Princeton, New Jersey on 8 December 1930 to Ralph Downes CBE KSG (1904–1993) and Agnes Mary Downes (née Rix). His father was the musical director at Princeton University's new chapel. The family returned to London, where in 1936 Ralph became the organist at the Brompton Oratory. He was educated at St Benedict's School, Ealing. He became fascinated by architecture and the history of art, and would cycle into London to visit churches and photograph them using a wooden quarter plate camera. His art teacher, Michael Franks, encouraged his interest and suggested he should study art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art,. His degree at the Courtauld suited what he called his butterfly mind: "I was painting, learning photography, and developing what is still a major interest: why the world in general, and buildings in particular, don’t look as they do in pictures and photographs". His first essay, on Francesco Borromini - written for the then Courtauld