James Alexander Cameron is a freelance art and architectural historian with a specialist background and active interest in architecture and material culture of the parish churches, cathedrals and monasteries of medieval England in their wider European context. He took a BA in art history and visual studies at the University of Manchester, gaining a university-wide award for excellence (in the top 30 graduands of the year 2008/9), and then went to take masters and PhD degrees at The Courtauld Institute of Art, London.

Since gaining his doctorate, he has worked on freelance research projects for English Heritage (regarding new Battle Abbey site interpretation); the Burrell Collection (medieval architectural sculpture) and St Albans Cathedral (the “Saints in Colour” project on the possible original colouring of the medieval high altar screen, both historical research and practical input on the final design). From 2020 he has worked for Bill Harvey Associates on the design and authorship of masonry bridges on Britain’s railways, and in 2021 worked on-site aiding in the firm’s photogrammetry surveys of medieval bridges on the Warwickshire Avon, including the Clopton Bridge in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Dr Cameron has numerous academic publications in journals and essay collections, has lectured widely at international conferences, taught and led seminars at undergraduate and masters level at The Courtauld, and lectures annually at the V&A Academy on medieval architecture and liturgy (from 2023, bi-annually). James has given guest lectures on similar themes at the University of Cambridge (both at BA level and on the Building History MSt) and the University of Central Lancashire, Preston, as well as leading architectural tours for Martin Randall Travel and Villiers Park Education, Cambridge.

On the 700th anniversary of the failure of Ely Cathedral crossing tower, he guested on the History Hit podcast, Going Medieval. In 2023 he gave lectures in St Albans Cathedral Church and the Prior’s Hall, Durham Cathedral on his work on the St Albans high altar screen and its wider context in late medieval great church high altars.

James (or I, whatever: hate typing professional copy like this) also has an interest in wider public engagement regarding medieval church architecture, and works innovatively with technology wherever possible. There are links above to my 3D-rendered size comparisons of cathedrals, and other weird COVID-era projects like going through every single monastery in England dissolved under Henry VIII, and every medieval Latin-Church cathedral in Europe.

Any opportunities for consultancy or lecturing to james@stainedglassattitudes.com will be gratefully considered.