Charles John Ffoulkes

Charles John Ffoulkes (1868–1947) was a British historian and museum curator best known for his work on medieval arms and armour. He became curator of the Royal Armouries at the Tower of London in 1913, wrote extensively on the subject, and earned a reputation for making specialist history accessible to general readers.

His career reached beyond the Tower. During and after the First World War, he played an important part in the creation of the Imperial War Museum, where he served as its first Curator and Secretary. That mix of scholarship and public service helped define his legacy: he was not only studying historic weapons, but also helping build the institutions that preserved Britain’s military past.

Ffoulkes is remembered today for works such as Armour & Weapons and Inventory and Survey of the Armouries of the Tower of London. His writing is valued for its direct, informative style and for the close attention he gave to the objects themselves — how they were made, used, and understood in their own time.