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. 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. The prize will be a cash award plus complimentary attendance at the AIA annual conference in the year of presentation.

Peter Neaverson Student Travel Bursary

The Peter Neaverson Student Travel Bursary is available to ensure that young people are able to experience the interest and excitement of visiting sites of industrial archaeological interest not just within the UK but also abroad. The visit may be concerned with a single site, sites connected to a particular industry in a region or a conference centred around the theme of IA which includes some visits to normally inaccessible sites. Up to £2000 is available each year to students working on a subject connected to Industrial Archaeology as part of their undergraduate or postgraduate degree. The award is designed to assist students to travel during the Easter or Summer Vacations immediately following the receipt of the award. The bursary can be spent as required but may include items such as travel, accommodation, subsistence, conference fees and site entrance fees. Students are expected to contribute an account of their visits to Industrial Archaeology News and can submit a longer article to Industrial Archaeology Review. Applicants should submit a letter to the AIA Liaison Officer by 1 December explaining why a visit would be valuable experience and how it would help their research/future in Industrial Archaeology. The letter should also give a rough cost of travel, accommodation, fees etc and when the visit would take place.

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