Historians of Past and Present ©National Portrait Gallery
Most of the historians featured here plied their trade in universities, though there are examples of the lingering presence of gentleman scholars in the professional age (Lord Acton), while others worked in the museum sector (Sir Roy Strong) or had spells advising governments (Sir Alexander Cairncross). Some, like Raphael Samuel, were university lecturers but did much of their work outside academia.
In a necessarily subjective list various criteria have been employed to determine inclusion.
The historian might have produced a seminal work reshaping the field (E. P. Thompson’s Making of the English Working-Class springs to mind), helped to establish a new sub-discipline (see the work of W. G. Hoskins on local history), or contributed to the institutional organisation of the profession (A. F. Pollard with the IHR, T. F. Tout with the Manchester School of History).
Some became synonymous with a particular era (G. R. Elton and the Tudors) or served as the public face of history (though A. J. P. Taylor’s achievements were not limited to his television lectures), and inevitably there are others for whom a case could be made who are not featured here.
Living historians have generally not been included unless they have reached sufficient age for their careers to be judged in perspective.
A quick scan of the gallery of historians will make clear two things – that this list is exclusively white and predominantly male. The biographies will further reveal that a very small proportion are without Oxbridge connections.
In terms of Making History it is argued that this is an accurate reflection of the narrow demographic makeup of the history profession itself, rather than an indication of prejudice in the inclusion criteria. However, the view could be taken that this is instead the result of the unthinking adoption of previous narratives of great men and significant developments, merely serving to perpetuate a restricted idea of what history is and who and what have been important in making it. All suggestions and feedback would be welcomed.