In memoriam: John Mills (1928-2019)

October 22, 2019

John Mills (1928-2019)

It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Dr John Mills, who had been associated with HALI since its inception in the 1970s. An organic chemist, John Mills served as Scientific Adviser at the National Gallery in London until his retirement in the 1980s and made a significant contribution to the study of various types of early Turkish and East Mediterranean carpets. He brought his specific knowledge of Renaissance paintings and his personal vantage point to the field via a series of authoritative articles and lectures on ‘Carpets in Pictures’ as well as a highly regarded exhibition and catalogue for the 1983 London International Conference on Oriental Carpets. In his numerous contributions to HALI and Oriental Carpet Textile Studies, Dr Mills looked at so called ‘Early Animal’, ‘Small-Pattern Holbein’, ‘Lotto’, Bellini’, ‘Para-Mamluk’ and classical Spanish carpets, as well as the more general themes of carpets in Italian and 17th-century Dutch paintings. John Mills’ memoir, Which Yet Survive, covering his scientific career, family, friends and travels, was published in 2017. He will be greatly missed by friends and colleagues in the carpet world.

The funeral will be held at The Isle of Wight Crematorium on the 15th November 2019 at 15:00.