John Anderson Stuart Ingamells was born on 12 November 1934, the son of George Harry Ingamells and Gladys (neé Rollett). He was educated at Hastings Grammar School; Eastbourne Grammar School, and Fitzwilliam House, Cambridge. 33 years of his career were spent working in museums and galleries. His first post in 1959 was as Art Assistant at York Art Gallery. In 1963 he beccame Assistant Keeper of the Department of Art at the National Museum of Wales. In 1967 he returned to York Art Gallery where he held the posts of curator (1967-1977) and Assistant to the Director (1977-1978). In 1978 he was appointed Director of the Wallace Collection, a post he held for 14 years. From 1992 until 2010 he was a Senior Fellow at the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, working on a variety of research projects which culminated in the following publications:
-Brinsley Ford Archive et al. (1997) A dictionary of British and Irish travellers in Italy, 1701-1800 - compiled from the Brinsley Ford Archive. London: Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art by Yale University Press.
-Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, Smart, A. and Ingamells, J. (ed.) (1999) Allan Ramsay : a complete catalogue of his paintings. New Haven; London: Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art by Yale University Press.
-Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, Ingamells, J. (ed.) and Edgcumbe, J. (ed.) (2000) The letters of Sir Joshua Reynolds. New Haven; London: Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art by Yale University Press.
-Ingamells, J. (2004) National Portrait Gallery : Mid-Georgian portraits 1760-1790. London: National Portrait Gallery.
Other notable publications include:
-Ingamells, J. and Raines, R. A catalogue of paintings, drawings and etchings of Philip Mercier. Annual volume of the Walpole Society, Vol 46, 1976-1978, p.1-70.
-Ingamells, J. Andrea Soldi - a check-list of his work. Annual volume of the Walpole Society, Vol 47, 1978-1980, pp1.20.
-University of York, The Borthwick Institute of Historical Research and Ingamells, J. (1972) Catalogue of portraits at Bishopthorpe Palace. St Anthony's Hall, York: [University of York].
-Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and Ingamells, J. (1981) The English episcopal portrait 1559-1835 : a catalogue. [London]: The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.
Ingamells also compiled collection catalogues for York Art Gallery, the National Museum of Wales, the Wallace Collection and the Dulwich Picture Gallery and published numerous articles in Apollo, The Connoisseur and Burlington Magazine. [Copies of all these publications are available in the Paul Mellon Centre's Library.]
In 1964 he married Hazel Wilson. They had two daughters. John Ingamells died in a nursing home in South London in November 2013.
Please note - this description is taken from: Who's Who 2010
