Peter Neaverson Awards

Peter Neaverson was actively involved in British industrial archaeology for over a quarter of a century as well as being Joint Editor with Marilyn Palmer of Industrial Archaeology Review for nearly 20 years, dealing with its transfer from Oxford University Press to a local publisher and then to Maney of Leeds. An engineer by training, he devoted the years of his retirement to industrial archaeology and his knowledge of physics and engineering, as well as technical drawing, was of considerable assistance to him in his research and writing. He also taught himself surveying techniques and was an avid researcher in Record Offices, being quick to appreciate the implications of both maps and documents, something that was particularly revealed in the research he did on the Glyn Pits colliery in South Wales where he was able to interpret the complex pumping and winding systems on that unique site. He carried out fieldwork with Leicestershire Industrial History Society in the East Midlands, Wales and Cornwall and was a member of many organisations, including The Newcomen Society, the Peak District Mines Historical Society and the Railway and Canal Historical Society. He was an Honorary Visiting Fellow in the University of Leicester. With Marilyn Palmer, he wrote many articles and books including Industry in the Landscape, 1700-1900, Routledge, 1986: Industrial Archaeology: Principles and Practice, Routledge, 1988 and The Textile Industry in South-west England: a Social Archaeology, Stroud: Tempus 2005. He devoted a lot of his time to AIA and on his death in December 2005 left a considerable legacy to further scholarship, research and publication in industrial archaeology.

The Association for Industrial Archaeology is proud to name its annual prize for outstanding scholarship in industrial archaeology in his honour.

Peter Neaverson Award for outstanding scholarship in industrial archaeology

• The award will be given to the author(s) of the work which, in the opinion of the judges, has, in the year in question, made the greatest contribution to the scholarship, knowledge and/or understanding of industrial archaeology.
• Any work published in English anywhere in the world is eligible for consideration, whether it is a paper, article, book or published thesis, normally within two years of publication to allow, for example, reviews to be published.
• Nominations for works to be considered for the award can be made by any member (individual or affiliated society) of the AIA and must reach the AIA Liaison Officer by 1 December in each year in order for an award to be presented at the AIA’s annual conference. They should take the form of a letter giving the name of the author, the work to be considered and a summary statement of the reasons for the nomination.
• Three judges for the award will be appointed by AIA Council; one of these will be the Editor of IA Review. A simple majority is required for their decisions.
• Should the judges consider that no nominations in a particular year meet the required criteria, no award will be made.
• The prize will be a cash award, together with a framed certificate in the recipient’s name
• The winner(s) will be invited to the AIA’s Annual Conference to receive the award at the annual dinner. A summary of the winning publication should be published in IA News or Industrial Archaeology Review as appropriate, and a list maintained of all winners on the AIA website.

Peter Neaverson Student Travel Bursary

The AIA is anxious to ensure that young people are able to experience the interest and excitement of visiting sites of industrial archaeological interest as Peter was able to do. Council has therefore decided to use part of Peter’s generous legacy to AIA to fund an annual student travel bursary of up to £2,000.

• To be awarded to a student working on a topic of relevance to industrial archaeology within an undergraduate or postgraduate degree.
• The award is designed to assist students to travel, not necessarily abroad, during the Easter or Summer Vacations immediately following the receipt of the award.
• Applications, which must include an indication of the specific purpose for which the award is sought, should be submitted to the AIA Liaison Officer by 1 December each year.
• Applications will be judged by a selection panel consisting of the Editor of IA News, the Affiliated Societies Liaison officer, the Conference Secretary and the Field Trip Officer plus other Council members nominated by Council for their particular expertise e.g. with students.
• Should the judges consider that no nominations in a particular year meet the required criteria, no award will be made.
• Successful applicants will be required to send in an illustrated report to IA News or Industrial Archaeology Review in the year following their travels.

Correspondence regarding these awards should be addressed to:
AIA Liaison Office, The Ironbridge Institute, Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Coalbrookdale, Telford TF8 7DX, UK
email: aia-enquiries@contacts.bham.ac.uk