Anthony Wagner
The 20th century's foremost guardian of heraldry, who modernized the ancient College of Arms while fiercely protecting its traditions.
1908–1995 (age 87)·20th-century English officer of arms at the College of Arms in London·Birthday: September 6·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Sir Anthony Wagner was a man who dealt in pedigrees, both of people and of symbols. For over half a century, he was the dominant figure at London's College of Arms, the medieval institution responsible for English heraldry and genealogy. As Garter Principal King of Arms, the senior herald, he navigated a world of arcane ritual and precise scholarship. Wagner was no mere antiquarian; he understood that for heraldry to survive, it needed rigorous academic grounding and public relevance. He authored definitive scholarly texts, cataloged historic manuscripts, and advised on the coats of arms for corporations, cities, and new peers of the realm. His tenure saw the College engage with the modern world while he personally upheld its ancient ceremonies, from the State Opening of Parliament to the installation of knights. He was, in essence, the chief curator of a living visual language of identity.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Anthony was born in 1908, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anthony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1908
Anthony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1908Born
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Started school
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Became a teenager
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1924Could drive
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1926Could vote
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Turned 21
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1938Turned 30
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1948Turned 40
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 50
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 60
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 70
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 80
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1995Died at 87
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
Key Achievements
- Served as Garter Principal King of Arms, the highest heraldic office in England, from 1961 to 1978.
- Authored seminal works such as 'Heralds of England' and 'Historic Heraldry of Britain.'
- Played a key role in the 1954 reorganization and modernization of the College of Arms.
- Was appointed Clarenceux King of Arms after retiring from the Garter role.
Did You Know?
He was the Richmond Herald who made the official proclamation of King George VI's accession from St. James's Palace in 1936.
Wagner identified the remains of King Richard III (long before the 2012 Leicester discovery) in a 1975 investigation, though his conclusions were later debated.
He was a dedicated collector of portrait miniatures.
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