John Buchan Telfer

John Buchan Telfer (1830 – 1907) was a British Captain in the Royal Navy and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London since 1875.[1]

He who took part in the Crimean War (1853–56) and was awarded the Baltic Medal.[1] He also served on many naval stations abroad.[2] He married a Russian lady,[2] and in the 1870s resided in the Russian Empire for three years.[2] He traveled to the Crimea and the Caucasus on two occasions.[2] He removed a small basalt sculpture from the Garni Temple in Armenia and bequeathed it to the British Museum.[1][3]

He is remembered for his two volume (I & II) account, The Crimea and Transcaucasia, published in 1876,[1] which, The Geographical Journal said upon his death, "has a permanent value as a mine of curious information and an accurate description of Transcaucasia at that date."[2] In 1888 Douglas Freshfield called him "one of our best recent authorities on the Caucasus."[4]

He also authored articles for the 9th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Capt J Buchan Telfer". The British Museum. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Obituary: Captain J. Buchan Telfer, R. N., F. S. A." The Geographical Journal. 30 (1): 97–98. July 1907.
  3. ^ "Fragment of a carved black basalt frieze". British Museum. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Described on the plinth and in WAA Transfer book for 11.12.52 as "From the palace of Tiridates", but actually from the temple (now restored)...
  4. ^ Freshfield, Douglas W. (June 1888). "Suanetia". Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society and Monthly Record of Geography. 10 (6): 333.
  5. ^ Wikisource:Author:John Buchan Telfer