St Joseph, (John) Kenneth (Sinclair) (1912-1994)

British pioneer of aerial photography in archaeology. He was responsible for the discovery of thousands of previously unknown archaeological sites, and can be said to have redrawn the archaeological map of Britain singlehandedly. One of his principal contributions was the discovery of more than 200 previously unknown Roman forts and marching camps, particularly in Scotland.

During World War II he was employed by the RAF on the interpretation of aerial photographs, and it was this experience that showed him their potential. He became a lecturer in geology at Cambridge University 1945, and began persuading the university to create a new department devoted to the new discipline of aerial photography. By 1949 he had become the university's first curator of aerial photography, and was appointed director of the department 1962, and professor of air photographic studies 1973. For the first few years the department depended on borrowed access to RAF training flights, until the university purchased its own survey aircraft and employed a professional pilot.

St Joseph pinpointed more than 200 previously unknown forts and marching camps, proving that the Roman general Agricola's raid into Scotland c. AD 80 penetrated much further than had been thought. St Joseph also worked over Ireland, Denmark, Holland, northern France, southwestern Germany, and Hungary, and was influential in encouraging archaeologists all over Europe to take to the air. Cambridge University's collection of over 300,000 photographs was made open and accessible, and became an invaluable teaching facility. St Joseph published several books and numerous papers on the subject, including The Uses of Air Photography 1966 and Roman Britain from the Air 1983, with S S Frere.