Sir Christopher John Frayling (born 25 December 1946) is a British educationalist and writer, known for his study of popular culture.
Early life and educationedit
Christopher Frayling was born in Hampton, a suburb of London, in affluent circumstances.[1] His father, Major Arthur Frederick Frayling, OBE (1910–1993),[2] late of the Royal Army Service Corps,[3] was chairman of the Hudson's Bay fur auction house in London and of the International Fur Trade Federation;[4] his mother, Barbara Kathleen ("Betty") Imhof, the daughter of record and audio equipment store owner Alfred Imhof, was a driver in international car rallies, and won the RAC Rally with her brother, Godfrey Imhof, in 1952.[5][6][7][8] His brother, Nicholas, was Dean of Chichester Cathedral from 2002-2014.
Frayling taught history at the University of Bath[10][11] and was awarded an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Arts) from that University in 2003. In 1979, Frayling was appointed Professor of Cultural History at London's post-graduate art and design school, the Royal College of Art. Frayling was Rector of the Royal College of Art from 1996 to 2009.[12]
He has had a wide output as a writer and critic on subjects ranging from vampires to westerns. He has written and presented television series such as The Art of Persuasion on advertising and Strange Landscape on the Middle Ages. He has conducted a series of radio and television interviews with figures from the world of film, including Woody Allen, Deborah Kerr, Ken Adam, Francis Ford Coppola and Clint Eastwood. He has written and presented several television series, including The Face of Tutankhamun[16] and Nightmare: Birth of Horror.
In January 2018, he gave a lecture at the British Library in the Hogwarts Curriculum Lecture series on "Defence against the Dark Arts". This specialised in the treatment of vampires.[17]
Knighthoodedit
In 2001, he was awarded a knighthood for "Services to Art and Design Education" and chose as his motto "PERGE SCELUS MIHI DIEM PERFICIAS", which can be translated as "Proceed, varlet, and let the day be rendered perfect for my benefit".[18]
Armsedit
Coat of arms of Christopher Frayling
Crest
(upon a helm with a wreath Or and Sable): A Dodo Sable beaked and legged Or grasping in the dexter foot a Goblet Argent enflamed Or.
Escutcheon
Or between three Owls volant affronty bendwise sinister two Bendlets sinister Sable thereon square Billets in bend sinister Argent.
^"RCA Announces Rector's Departure in Summer 2009". Royal College of Art. 29 January 2009. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
^"The Sir Misha Black Medal". Misha Black Awards. Archived from the original on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
^Higgins, Charlotte (29 January 2010). "Arts Council Chief Frayling Departs". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
^"AUB appoints Sir Christopher Frayling as new Chancellor". Arts University Bournemouth. 7 April 2014.
^"The Face of Tutankhamun". BBC. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
^"The Hogwarts Curriculum Lectures - Defence Against The Dark Arts". British Library. 22 January 2018.
^"The Arms, Crest and Badge of Sir Christopher Frayling, Kt. - College of Arms". Retrieved 19 January 2023.
^"The Arms, Crest and Badge of Sir Christopher Frayling, Kt. - College of Arms". Retrieved 19 January 2023.
External linksedit
Media related to Christopher Frayling at Wikimedia Commons