John Henry Parker (1806–1884) was an archaeologist, architect, and publisher. He had a deep interest in the history of architecture—he wrote and published many volumes on the subject. He was a chief advocate for the restoration of church buildings, an interest that eventually led him to study the archaeology of Rome. In his study of Rome, Parker commissioned an extensive series of photographs of Rome’s greatest buildings and monuments. The photographers also recorded the many excavations in Rome during the nineteenth century. In 1893, Parker’s entire collection was destroyed in a catastrophic fire at the Palazzo Della Porta Negroni Caffarelli, depriving later generations of a valuable resource. Parker wrote Glossary of Terms Used in Grecian, Roman, Italian, and Gothic Architecture, A Handbook for Visitors to Oxford, and A Concise Glossary of Architectural Terms.
Though his scholarship was controversial, Parker was decorated by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy and received a medal from Pope Pius IX. In England, he was named the first keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, and was nominated as a CB (companion) in the Order of the Bath.