Alexander Ormiston Curle

Alexander Ormiston Curle FSAS CVO LL.D. (1866–1955) was a Scottish lawyer and archaeologist who rose to be Director of the National Museum of Scotland from 1913 to 1919 and Director of the Royal Scottish Museum on Chambers Street in Edinburgh 1916 to 1931. He was also Secretary and later a Commissioner of the Royal Commission on the Ancient Monuments of Scotland. He was brother to the archaeologist James Curle. Life He was born on 3 May 1866 at Abbey Park in Melrose in the Scottish Borders the son of James Curle, a solicitor. Despite training as a lawyer his interests quickly changed to archaeology and antiquarianism. He published 11 archaeological papers between 1896 and 1908. In 1908 he was appointed Secretary of the newly created Royal Commission of Ancient Monuments of Scotland. From August 1908 until February 1909 he set out to record all of Scotland’s important monuments, undertaking the 300 mile trip largely by bicycle. Thus was created the first Inventory of Ancient Monuments. In Edinburgh he lived at 8 South Learmonth Gardens.