John Boyes was born in Guildford, Surrey, but spent most of his youth in Coventry. His training was in structural and mechanical engineering. Following a period of service with the Royal Army Medical Corps, he was appointed as one of the HM Inspectors of Factories in 1942 with subsequent postings to Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne and Essex/London. He retired in 1979.

Boyes' long-standing interest in engineering history and the recording and preservation of Britain's industrial past led to active membership of various organisations, including the Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society and the Newcomen Society. In 1978 Boyes was the recipient of the first University of Bath Rolt Memorial Fellowship under the supervision of Professor Angus Buchanan. His research mainly focused on canals and waterways.

The collection comprises colour transparencies (slides). Between 1960 and 2000 Boyes photographed thousands of buildings, locations and features of industrial, architectural and archaeological significance both in the UK and on the continent. Many of the images capture sites that have since undergone dramatic change.

The collection was donated to the University of Bath by Mark, Geoffrey and Richard Boyes in 2022.

The collection is not yet fully catalogued. Please email the University Archivist for further details.

Size: 20,000 items (approx).