Vera Conlon
Vera Marjorie Conlon (Drake, 12 August 1906 – 23 January 1994) was a British archaeological excavation photographer who is noted for her work at the UCL Institute of Archaeology and for publishing a textbook about photographic techniques for archaeologists.
Also recorded as Vera Marjorie Conlon
Vera Conlon
UCL Institute of Archaeology · Pye, Elizabeth. "From the Archives: Women of the Early Institute". Archaeology International 18: 131–133. DOI: 10.5334/ai.1817. · CC BY 4.0
- Birth Name
- Vera Marjorie Drake
- Born
- 12 August 1906
- Died
- 23 January 1994
- Birthplace
- Streatham, Surrey, England
- Place of death
- Swanage, Dorset, England
- Occupation
- archaeologist · photographer
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Key facts
Key facts
• Birth Name — Vera Marjorie Drake • Born — 12 August 1906 • Died — 23 January 1994 • Birthplace — Streatham, Surrey, England • Place of death — Swanage, Dorset, England • Workplaces — Head of the Photography Department, UCL Institute of Archaeology • Notable Works — Camera Techniques in Archaeology (1973)
Life
Life
Conlon was born in 1906 in Streatham, Surrey, as Vera Marjorie Drake, and was later described as having a "strong cockney accent." She was known by the nickname "Connie." Conlon worked as an excavation photographer and as an assistant to Mortimer Wheeler. She became one of the early women employees at the UCL Institute of Archaeology in London. She worked as the head of the Photography Department. She retired in 1971. After retiring, she published Camera Techniques in Archaeology, a textbook for archaeologists, in 1973. The book adapted advice to the newest camera and darkroom equipment available to photographers. It became a notable work about the specific photographic techniques required for field archaeology and "showed a keen awareness of photography's own lineage in archaeology." Conlon died in 1994 in Swanage, Dorset.
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The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Vera Conlon, revision 1364970494 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Chapman, John. A Life in Balkan Archaeology. Oxbow Books. 20. 2021-10-13. 978-1-78925-732-8.
- 2.Pye, Elizabeth. From the Archives: Women of the Early Institute. Archaeology International. 18. 1. 2015-11-16. 2048-4194.
- 3.Chapman, John. A Life in Balkan Archaeology. Oxbow Books. 30. 2021-10-13. 978-1-78925-732-8.
- 4.Riggs, C. The Handbook of Photography Studies. Taylor & Francis. 187–205. 2020-08-13. 978-1-003-10397-4.
- 5.Conlon, Vera M. Camera Techniques in Archaeology. J. Baker. 1973. 978-0-212-98422-0.
- 6.Howell, Carol L. A Practical Guide to Archaeological Photography. Institute of Archaeology, University of California. 134. 1992. 978-0-917956-73-7.
- 7.Pasternak, Gil. The Handbook of Photography Studies. Routledge. 201. 2020-08-13. 978-1-000-21307-2.
- 8.Woodhead, A. G. The Study of Greek Inscriptions. CUP Archive. 84. 1968-01-02.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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