Since the 1950s, Chatsworth and its collections have undergone a renaissance under the leadership of the 11th and 12th Dukes and Duchesses of Devonshire and continues with Lord and Lady Burlington, and the Chatsworth House Trust. This lecture paints a portrait of Devonshire’s treasure house in the modern age, illustrating the extensive C21st decorative and furnishing renovations in the house and the restoration of historic interiors, stone work and works of art. The lecture also includes work by modern and contemporary artists in the collection at Chatsworth including Lucian Freud, Elisabeth Frink, David Hockney and David Nash, to Richard Long, Allen Jones, Michael Craig-Martin and Edmund de Waal. 

This genius, Spanish architect and designer Antonî Gaudi (1852-1926) was a key figure in Catalan Modernism, with eight of his architectural masterpieces listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. His Basilica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona being the most visited monument in Spain.

With the art scene finally giving some real recognition to the now long-established and emerging female artists, our Speaker takes a look at what’s been happening in Britain: who are the leading contemporary women artists who should be household names.

During his career in the Irish Guards, our Speaker became Equerry to the Queen Mother and so became familiar with her personal and State jewels alike. His lecture tells of her passion for jewels; concentrating on a selection of items which are of gemological and historic interest.

When Edvard Munch created The Scream in 1893, he was responding to an intense emotional experience. The aftershock of Munch’s vision was felt across the artistic world and gave rise to the birth of Expressionism.

Lowry is one of Britain’s most popular artists but our familiarity with his work has stopped us looking as closely as we should at this extraordinary artist. Though famous for his paintings of the mills and factories in the industrial north-west of England he was really a painter of the human condition.

Our speaker has been a writer and director of historic pantomimes throughout England for over 30 years.  As an academic he is steeped in its origins and evolution.  Come to the show and learn how Britain became the crucible of pantomime form, find out exactly why pantomime is so popular, what makes it so successful and how it remains such a joyful celebration of all that is quintessentially British.

The longest running and most treasured reality TV show has featured our speaker since it's beginning.  Lars takes us behind the scenes and reveals: how the show is made - how many people bring in how many objects - how many of them go on to be sold after being valued and, have the experts ever broken anything!?                                        
Come and find out from one of those experts himself.

A hundred years ago, 16 million people visited the Paris Expo - the international exhibition of Modern and Industrial Arts.  Over a six month period visitors were treated to 15,000 exhibits from more that twenty nations - excepting the United States which didn't show.  This was strange given that it had already embraced Art Deco for its majestic skyscrapers of the late 1920's and early 1930's.  This exhibition was to put Art Deco on the map. A style that is still very much alive today

This talk provides an insight into how highly decorative and expertly created costumes and textiles were utilised at the Chinese Imperial Court to denote the rank and status of the wearer. The significance of the Imperial Dragon and symbolic animals are explored and explained.  A range of costumes and textiles from our speaker's private collection will be on display.

When the Duke of Wellington witnessed Joseph Paxton at work at Chatsworth, he exclaimed            "I'd have liked that man to be one of my generals!" Paxton was one of the most inventive and influential figures of the 19th century whose most famous masterwork, the Crystal Palace of 1851, is considered by significant contemporary architects like Norman Foster to be 'the birth of modern architecture'.

IF YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING A FRIEND FOR FREE TO THIS TALK! 

How did a German refugee from Hitler become the Grand Old Man of English Art History? The answer lies in his extraordinary one-man survey of all the architecturally significant buildings in the country, county by county.  This talk explores the area formerly known as West Riding and will look at what Pevsner had to say about it.  Apparently he quite liked Salts Mill!

We are delighted that The Bradford Society of Architects & Surveyors will be showing their 150th Exhibition at our event.     It showcases the grand and iconic buildings of Bradford in its heyday.

Our speaker, an award winning artist in her own right, looks at the work of Morisot and reveals her contribution to the Impressionist Movement. Born in 1841, Morisot studied painting and exhibited her work widely.  Along with the likes of Degas, Cezanne and Monet she made and left an impression.

An epic tale about two extraordinary figures from the same valley in Yorkshire who were destined to change the world of fashion and design for all time. A story that takes us from the mills of Yorkshire in the 1920's to the corridors of power at Westminster.  Art, Design, textiles, fashion,m politics, publishing, philosophy and the very genesis of Modern Art in Britain.

Our speaker looks at Gormley's life and his career as a sculptor.  The Angel, an extraordinary engineering achievement in itself, aroused controversy in British newspapers at first, but it has since been considered to be a landmark for the Northeast of England.

This talk celebrates the inspirational work of Britain's best known artist who has made his mark in our lifetime. His work is instantly recognisable and speaks directly to us of the joys and challenges of being alive. Original works by Hockney will be available for viewing at the talk.

Not that long ago every major High Street in London and in other major cities had its landmark department store. Today they have become an endangered species.

This Talk will take you back to a vanished era; with their publicity stunts, their Christmas windows, their exotic pets departments - to that magical palace where you could buy anything and everything!

Our Speaker comes from a background of theatre and comedy so he is well placed to take us down                    Memory Lane to revisit the Golden Age of British Comedy and be reminded some of those stars in its firmanent.

Just the ticket for a cold and wet November afternoon! 

Since its foundation in 1925, Faber&Faber has built a reputation as one of London's most important , independent literary publishing houses.  This talk traces its history through its illustrations, covers and designs.

Our Speaker, grandson of its founder, peppers his talk with personal insight and anecdote.

The aesthetic design and construct of Japanese gardens is world renowned.

This talk takes us from the ancient to the modern, looking at the materials and design of a                          compelling living art form 

Darling's daring rescue of steamship passengers off the Northumberland coast in 1838 brought her international fame.  Grace Darling became the 'poster girl' of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and was the first woman awarded their medal for gallantry.  Discover more about her bravery and short life (she died at 26) and the artistic contribution that has helped keep her in the public eye.

This talk coincides with the commemorations to mark the 200th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI in 1824.

From July to September 2024 Paris will be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but whilst most onlookers will focus on the sport and competition, art and design will also be putting on a show - as they have since the games began at Olympia nearly three thousand years ago.

From nudity to Nike - from sand to synthetics - the Olympic story offers art lovers a pot of gold.

Our speaker, who you will recognise from his appearances on the Antiques Roadshow, illuminates the creative driving force behind the inception of Dartington Glass.

Frank Thrower was one of the most prolific and successful glass designers of the late 20th century.  As the sole designer for almost twenty years, he produced over seven hundred innovtive and popular designs.

This talk looks at the history of the Company, Frank's life and the major phases of, and influencles behind, his well known design.

Raffles, whose name is synonymous with the luxury hotel, rather than the greatest Buddhist monument in the world, was the enlightened colonial administrator in Java, Indonesia.

He acquired wondrous artifacts, such as shadow puppets and textiles which are now in the British Museum.  Raffles founded Singapore which became the most important trading post in the East.

Denise Heywood reveals to us who this interesting and enigmatic character was and the legacy he left  in his wake.

This talk is based on rigorous detective work which collates the results of surveys and expert recommendations to present the most popular paintings in Britain over the last twenty years.

Members of the audience will be asked to predict their top three.  Towards the end of the talk they will see how their predictions shaped up.  There will be some surprises when it is revealed which of those painters and paintings didn't even get a look in! 
 

SO WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PAINTING? 
Ray, our Speaker, is interested to know and he'll be asking you on the day ....... so, be ready with the title and artist of your favourite painting in Britain today

2024 marks the bicentenary of our much loved national treasure - the National Gallery in London. Home to one of the greatest collections of European art, it is also a repository of headline grabbing stories surrounding acquisitions, controversial conversations, thefts, acts of vandalism, scandals and has appeared in many films.......

Lydia Bauman, a guide and lecturer at the National Gallery for over 35 years, will tell those stories against the backdrop of some of the most glorious masterpieces in the collection.  

In 1565, Pieter Bruegel the Elder was commissioned to paint a series of paintings for a dining room in Antwerp. The images, charting the course of a year, changed the way we looked at the world through art.

In his talk, Gavin explores how Bruegel pioneered a way of thinking about the environment and our individual places within a shifting cosmos.

Talk starts 2pm

Discover the magnificent art of Erte and George Le Page and the subsequent generation of fashion illustrators who turned fashion illustration into an art form.

The period between the glittering 1920's through to the democratisation of the fashion of the 50's is known as the golden age of fashion illustration.  And, what an impact it made.

Talk starts at 2pm

Discover the historical background of this acclaimed partnership and its precise genre of political satire found in their musical compositions.

Our speaker  gives an overview of the works, the reasons for the satire and considers as to how much of what was said then is equally (and arguably more so) valid today.

Talk starts at 2pm

Non-fungible tokens - you'll no doubt have heard of them?  Are you baffled or fascinated by the fact that a work of art that doesn't exist in any tangible way, but merely languishes in cyber-space can be worth mega-bucks on the art market?

Is it merely another ruse to make money? Speculation in art is nothing new; it has a long history in the evolution of culture and in the concept of social status. Find out more.

Talk starts at 2pm

For 50 years until the outbreak of the Second World War, Pierot Troupe performers were the staple diet of seaside entertainment.

Join us for a lively, jolly talk with music, archive materials and unique visual imagery from the world's leading authority (and practitioner) of this British phenomenon.

Talk starts at 2pm

Our speaker is a historical musician and instrument maker and in her talk she explores the links between the visual and the aural in paintings.

Drawing on the works of great painters such as Bruegel, Hogarth and Bosch, Sophie presents a variety of images showing historical woodwind instruments in their original context.  The symbolism of music in medieval and Renaissance art is also explored.  Playing on these authentic instruments, Sophie allows our ears to see!

Talk starts at 2pm

A diverse and shared culture binds Ukraine's proud People. With it early links to Byzantium to the distinctive characters and ethnicities of Odesa and Lviv; this rich tapestry gives us art and architecture, folk-culture traditions - Cossack dancing and native songs and the secret codes embedded in its embroidery.

Talk starts at 2pm

Many of London's great auction houses have been in existence for over 200 years.

In his talk, Grant gives us a succinct and colourful introduction to their histories.  And, with keeping one eye on the past, he offers a shrewd insight into their current practice and looks at how they plan to situate themselves in the future.

Talk starts at 2pm

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) is arguably the most important Indian artistic figure of the modern era. A renowned poet, novelist, composer and painter who became a global sensation, when in 1913, he won the Nobel prize in Literature.  Being the first first non-European person to do so.

Talk starts at 2pm

Ever since the discovery of the contents of his tomb a 100 years ago, the world has marvelled at the boy-king in his exquisite mask and at all the other fascinating treasures buried with him.

Join Gillian Hovell, 'the muddy archaeologist' as she reveals that there is so much more to Tutankhamun's tomb and death mask - his place in Egyptian culture and history.

Talk starts at 2pm

This is the true story of the Three Kings told by Art Historian, Leslie Primo.

There have been pictorial representations of The Magi from as early as the 6th Century. Depictions in Byzantine ivories with origins in places such as Constantinople to the vast array of artists - Botticelli, Bruegel (the Elder), Durer, Rubens to name but a few. But these depictions over this time have been anything but consistent.

In this talk Leslie will unravel the myth and iconography surrounding this image - from its Eastern and pagan roots to its current Christian interpretation. And explore the inclusion of the black king, where he came from, why would he be included, how significant was he and how European artists tackled the problem of depicting this Magus when they themselves had little or no knowledge of such people of colour.

What are the actual origins of this story and what is it we want this story to mean? 

IF YOU'RE ALREADY A MEMBER OF OUR SOCIETY BRING A FRIEND FOR FREE TO THIS MONTH'S TALK

In 1917 Norman Wilkinson (1878-1971) was a British artist and poster designer.  He was primarily a marine painter but during the First World War while serving in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve he was assigned to submarine patrols at the time German submarines were achieving unprecedented success in torpedo attacks on British ships.  Wilkinson, in a flash of insight, invented 'dazzle-art' to camouflage the ships.  Thousands of British and Allied Ships were painted with vivid and violently contrasting patterns of colour to deter the U-boat attacks

Discover the life and work of Wilkinson and his Dazzle scheme that continues to inspire art and design today. And was it really inspired by Cubism, Futurism and Vorticism?

Vibrant and energetic, alive and exquisitely detailed, personal and intimate, pre-historic art constantly surprises us and makes us re-evaluate our perception of our ancient ancestors.

There is nothing primitive about this art even though it's often tens of thousands of years old,

Cave paintings, hunting and domestic tools, breath-taking representations of wild animals and touching images of humans all feature. Looking at these, our first works of art created by early mankind lead us to ask, not just what part art played in pre-historic lives, but what art continues to play in our own lives today.

More astonishingly, this art helps us to consider at a deeper level what it means to be human.

Jazz is one of music's most important genres: a fascinating blend of rigorous structure, free-wheeling creativity, close-knit ensembles and imaginative improvisation.

Drawing on his experience both as musicologist and gigging musician, Sandy can shed light on jazz from the inside.

His talk covers the early years of jazz up to the Second World War and touches on the disparate influences which lay behind the emergence of jazz.  

Musical illustrations range from the blues, ragtime, the very first jazz recordings, through to classics by Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and the dawn of the Swing Era.

In the remote northwest region of Uzbekistan -  one of the poorest in the former Soviet Union - lies, what the Guardian describes as, 'one of the most outstanding museums in the world.'

Founded in 1966 by Igor Savitsky (1915-84) a Russian artist born in Kiev, houses the second largest collection of Russian avant garde art (after the Russian Museum St. Petersburg). 

Savitsky, fascinated by cultural heritage went on to amass a horde of over 90,000 artefacts originating in Central Asia and create this pearl in the desert.
 

Our Speaker today has been a professional cartoonist for thirty years, during which time he has provided cartoons for several high profile UK publications (The Guardian, Radio Times) as well as for countless more obscure titles (British Journal of Wound Care).                                     

He was awarded UK Strip Cartoonist of the Year for his Guardian strip Clare in the Community, which he adapted into a Radio 4 sitcom.

In today's talk Harry will be tracing the history of his profession with examples from early practitioners like Cruickshank and Hogarth, to more contemporary artists such as Giles and Schultz, bringing events right up to date with cartoons produced fresh on the page that day!

Yes, Harry will be drawing life. Prepare to hear some tricks of his trade and watch as a simple pencil stroke makes the world of difference!

For the first time in history, gardens as we have known them are changing.

With contemporary garden design now taking account of ecology, sustainability and wildlife,  the purpose and shape of the garden evolves.

This talk illustrates and discusses these issues and asks 'what now actually constitutes a garden'       

The dramatic rescue of Wentworth Woodhouse, Britain's largest country house, captured newspaper headlines.  Today's talk looks at its extraordinary history and shows how the story of the house is inextricably linked with the lives of the three aristocratic families who lived there and how the rivalry in the 18th century between two branches of the family led to grandiose developements. By the 1750's Wentworth Woodhouse was 600 feet long, and the interiors enriched the house with fine paintings, sculptures and works of art.

Sitting on a massive and lucrative coal mine the owners were one of the richest landowners in Britain.  But in 1946 after World War II, the demand for coal led to the estate becoming a vast open cast mine, causing serious damage to the house. The death of successive Earls without issue led to the sale of the house and its contents, and its future in jeopardy.

Known for his outlandish appearances dressed as his feminine alter ego, Claire,  Grayson Perry is now a core part of the Art Establishment.  A Turner Prize winner, Royal Academician, popular broadcaster and colourful character. His works including ceramics, textiles, tapestries and prints are highly sought after.

This talk will examine Grayson Perry's work, his exciting and thought-provoking exhibitions and the unique and challenging character inside the flamboyant frocks. 

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WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN PERSON AT THE BINGLEY ARTS               CENTRE ON THE DAY

PLEASE NOTE THIS TALK WILL NOW BE VIA ZOOM ONLY

The 'poor, little, rich girl' whose inherited family fortune changed the face of 20th Century Art.    

Peggy Guggenheim nurtured a new generation of artists who were producing a new kind of art.  Collecting their art wasn't enough though - she wanted them too.

Her life was as radical and interesting as her collection which can be seen in an 18th century palace on the Grand Canal in Venice - her home for three decades which she opened to the public in 1951.

TALK BEGINS AT 2pm

Charles Dickens has often been proclaimed as "The Man Who Invented Christmas" and indeed on hearing that Dickens had died, a cockney barrow-girl said "Dickens dead? Then will Father Christmas die too?"

Dickens revived the Christmas traditions with his warm portrayal of Christmas in the domestic setting: with plum pudding, piping hot turkey, games, dancing and family cheer by the hearth.  Although he celebrated Christmas in numerous works it is his enduring masterpiece 'A Christmas Carol' published on 19th December 1843 which immortalises the spirit of Christmas cheer.

Dickens was a man of extraordinary energy and talent: literary genius, reformer, public speaker, actor and amateur magician

In his lecture Bertie Pearce reveals a Dickensian Christmas with readings, biographical details and conjuring tricks.

A note about our Speaker

Bertie Pearce studied Drama at Manchester University and at the Ecole Internationale du Theatre Jaques Lecoq in Paris. He is a Member of the Inner Magic Circle with a Gold Star and is also Professor of Punch and Judy.

He has performed all over the world from the Magic Castle in Hollywood to the Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz to the Arts Society Saltaire in, our former venue, Victoria Hall. Bertie lights-up the room on arrival and, on departure, leaves light-hearts and smiles.

He lives in East Sussex

Whilst recuperating from appendicitis, Matisse's mother bought him a box of paints. A gift that changed his life. Abandoning his legal studies and heading  for Paris to study art, he embarked on a journey of discovery. 
Influenced by the work of Monet, Vincent Van Gogh and Picasso, Matisse  broke away from the traditional painting methods he was taught to find his own vibrant style painting in colours filled with Mediterranean light.

TALK BEGINS AT 2pm

This talk examines the rise in the popularity of classical music and its influence on today's media.

                        A talk with film clips, sound tracks and live music

How it has ..... enhanced the drama/tension/romance of feature films.                                                                      How it has ..... made some television commercials really memorable.                                                                          How a work by an obscure 17th-century German composer has become our number one choice for weddings and funerals.                                                                                                                                                              How the Internet has assembled and recorded a choir of over 8000 singers from 120 countries - who never had to leave their homes

A note about our Speaker: 

Tony joined advertising giant J.Walter Thompson in the 1960's as a mail boy.  He worked up through their training system to become account manager before setting up on his own in 1995 producing commercials and advertisements for multinational companies.

He remains active in the industry and is invoved with philanthropic projects.

Tony lives in Kent

TALK BEGINS AT 2pm   

From ruffians to royalty; from sailors to socialites; from pilgrims to punks: tattoos have been etched into bodies throughout British history.

Discover the work of major tattoo artists including George Burchett, Alex Binnie, Lal Hardy and Britain's pioneering female tattoo artist, Jessie Knight.

Hear a talk that opens your eyes and challenges the longstanding myths and pre-conceptions about the skill and obsession surrounding body art.

A note about our Speaker

Dr Matt Lodder is a Senior Lecturer in Art History and Theory, and director of American Studies at the University of Essex. He teaches European, American and Japanese art, architecture, visual culture and theory from the late 19th century to the present time.

He has written and lectured extensively on tattooing and related body modification practices.

Matt Lodder lives in Essex

TALK BEGINS AT 2pm   

Samarkand and Bukhara -  the names of places that conjour up the magic of the Ancient Middle East.

This lecture focuses on the architecture of these two cities developed from sun dried brick buildings to the exquisite tile work that takes your breath away.  But why were they built? Who built them?  and why have they survived to this day?

Sit back in your seat and travel the thousands of miles with us and see for yourself.

Lecture Notes

Geography: 

Eurasian Steppe - grasslands from Danube plain to China.

Deserts: Kara-Kum, Kyzyl-Kum, Takla-makan, and Gobi

Transoxiana - ancient name for Central Asia comprising Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan

Steppe Tribes & Languages:

Iranian (Scythians/Saka and Sarmatians)

Turkic (Huns, Kazakhs and Uzbeks)

Mongolian (Mongols and Tatars)

Attila the Hun - 406-453 AD

Genghis Khan, ‘universal or all-embracing ruler’, b. Temujin c.1162-1227

Sogdians:  2nd - 7th C Merchants trading from Central Asia to China.

            Religions:  Buddhist, Zoroastrian, Nestorian Christians and Judaism.

Samarkand – City of Timurid Dynasty 15th-15th C city

Timür-i lenk or Tamerlaine  (1336 – 1405) of Turkic-Mongol origin

Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo, an ambassador for King Henry III of Castile and Leon of Spain (d.1412) whose diaries describe the city of Samarkand built by Timur.

Buildings: 

• Ak Serey  (White Palace) c.1380
• Bibi Khanum Mosque c. 1404
• Gur Amir  - male descendents of Timur c.1400
• Shah-i-Zinda – necropolis of the female Timurids c. 14th &15th C
• Registan - Timur built 6 major roads which converged on the market place.  The market was replaced by 3 madrasas (Islamic schools) c. 15th- 17th C.

Bukhara – Persians, Turks and Uzbeks

Two golden ages:

• Samanids:  Persian Muslim dynasty (819-999) staunch supporters of the arts and architecture and attracted some of the finest scholars, poets, artists, architects, scientists, mathematicians and philosophers to its capitol Bukhara.

• Shaybanids: 16th C (1500-1598)  Turkic speaking Uzbeks who literally expelled Timur’s descendents to India in 1500. Abdulla Khan (1533-1598) was a patron of art & architecture.

Buildings:

• Maghaki Attari Mosque – 10th- 16th C built on foundation of a Zoroastrian temple
• Tomb of Ismail Samani  - 10th C   oldest Islamic building in Central Asia
• Ark Citadel -18th C
• Kalon Complex – Minaret 10-12th C, Mosque 15th /16th C & Madrasa 16th C

A note about our Speaker

Diana is a leading Islamic world guide and lecturer with an emphasis on Central Asia.

Educated at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London, she has over 30 years of experience studying and exploring Ancient Near and Middle East history, languages, religion and culture.  Following positions at the University of Bath and within the University of London, she was appointed Director of Education at the British Council in Hong Kong.

Diana has lectured at various educational institutions throughout China land East Asia and during this time developed an interest in the history of the Silk Road.  She now gives regular gallery talks at the British Museum and the Royal Academy.

She lives in London.

TALK BEGINS AT 2pm

"Remember that in a garden we are painting a picture" these were the words written in 1882 by Gertrude Jekyll.

As an accomplished watercolour artist, Miss Jekyll was familiar with the principles of using colours but she felt that in gardens these principles "had been greatly neglected".

This talk looks at how to apply these principles in designing a border, but it also looks at the ways in which a border is different from painting.  However, it goes further than this and looks at how contemporary work of the likes of Turner, Monet, Rothko, Jackson Pollack evolved in parallel ideas about what a garden or border should look like.

A note about our Speaker

Timothy Walker studied Botany at University College Oxford.  After graduating he became a trainee at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden. Working his way up through the system, via the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, he returned to the University of Oxford Botanic Garden & Harcourt Arboretum where he became General Foreman. In 2002 he became the Director. During this period the organisation won 4 gold, 2 silver-gilt and 1 silver medal at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Since the mid-80's he has given more that 1,500 talks in the UK, Ireland, North America and Australia sharing his knowledge and passion with well over 100,000 people. 

He lives in Oxford where he still holds academic roles at the University. 

TALK BEGINS AT 2pm 

At the turn of the twentieth century, the British Empire held sway over approximately one quarter of the total population of the world.  British imperial power was projected through a variety of artistic mediums, from fine portraiture and grand imperial buildings to more popular forms of imagery.  British artists also produced countless images of people from all over the globe who had become the subjects of British rule.

Through considering a variety of paintings, building and objects from across the Empire, this lecture provides a fascinating insight into the ways in which the British viewed themselves and their subjects in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

A note about our Speaker: Dr John Stevens is a Research Associate at SOAS, University of London, and a member of the academic staff at the SOAS South Asia Institute.  His PhD in History is from University College, London. He teaches British Imperial history, Indian History and Bengali language. He is a regular visitor to India and Bangladesh.  He publishes widely in these subjects. 

He lives in London

TALK BEGINS AT 2pm

For the television series "Downton Abbey" Andrew was commissioned to make many jewels for the main characters and this inspired him to create a talk based on Downton and the changing styles of jewels and fashion portrayed. Jewellery and Fashion are often seen as two entirely separate and distinct fields of design but this is very far from the case.

In his talk, Andrew guides us through the extraordinary periods and events between 1890 and 1929, where the great couturiers collaborated with the finest of Jewellers to produce jewels of outstanding quality and glittering opulence.  Along with this, he reveals the clients and patrons who commissioned the jewels and shows how they were worn with the sumptuous gowns.

A note about our Speaker: Ever since he can remember, Andrew has had a passion for jewellery.  As a youngster he immersed himself in jewellery exhibitions and then took time off from school to visit Geneva and view the astonishing Sotheby's auction for the jewellery of the Duchess of Windsor.  Here, for the first time, he held pieces created by some of the world's greatest jewellers - it was a life-changing experience, he says.

Two weeks after his 16th birthday he left school and became a junior in London's Bond Street, working for the Antiques Roadshow expert, Ian Harris. Andrew went on to design and make his own costume jewellery. Harrods was to commmission his first collection; followed by commissions for a variety of clients including  Michael Jackson, Shirley Bassey and the V&A.

In 2012 he was approached by the costume designer for "Downton Abbey" and asked to supply the jewellery for the third and fourth television series.  He was also to make the jewellery for Miss Piggy's wedding in "Muppets Most Wanted"! 

Branching out and wanting to share his knowledge, he has now become an engaging and popular Speaker on both jewellery history and fashion both here and in the United States.

Andrew lives in London

TALK BEGINS AT 2pm

This talk looks at the evolution of Town Halls and other municipal buildings and the way they became great masterpieces of grand architecture expressing the wealth and importance of the towns they stood in and the pride of their citizens. It also considers how today, with the decline of local government, our great heritage of civic architecture is often under threat.

A note about our Speaker: Dr Ian Adams taught political philosophy at Durham University and has published several books on that subject.  Since retiring he has concentrated on teaching History of Art and Architecture for the U3A and gives individual lectures on these subjects for a variety of groups and societies.

He lives near Skipton and is a member of the Saltaire Arts Society.

TALK BEGINS AT 2pm

This is the story of the epic rivalry between the two giants of British art, J.M.W. Turner and John Constable. As unlike in background and temperament as their paintings were in style, these two creative geniuses transformed the art of landscape painting.

This lecture sets them head-to-head and examines their differences, their similarities, their battles and their shared triumphs.  But which one of them will ultimately be crowned star painter?

A note about our Speaker:Nicola Moorby is an independent art historian specialising in British art of the ninetheenth and early twentieth century.  She studied at the University of York and Birkbeck College, London.  Formerly a curator at Tate Britain she has curated a number of exhibitions and has published widely on J.M.W. Turner including contributions to the forthcoming online catalogue of the Turner Bequest.                                                                                            Nicola lives in Surrey.

THIS LECTURE WILL BE DELIVERED VIA THE ZOOM APP

2020 sees the 250th Anniversary of he birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, the revolutionary composer whose death in 1827 left the Austro-German composers who came after him wih a serious problem.How could they possibly follow the example of this musical titan who had changed the world of classical music forever?

An in-depth look at the life and work of this musical genius with the aid of selected images, recorded excerpts and live, musical analysis.

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 It was a loud and boisterous decade, marked by novelty, modernity and huge social, technological and economic change.

The Roaring Twenties was also a period pf enormous vitality in art and design.

This Talk aims to conjure up the energy and originality of the decade and to explore the llves of its leading figures and shows examples of its most innovative art and design.

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This thought-provoking Talk draws its title from a famous poster in 1985 when a group of disenchanted women demonstrated outside the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

They were challenging the Museum's selection of the overriding number male-dominated artists shown in their Spring Exhibition 'An International Survey of Recent Painting & Sculpture'.                  Their list of 165 artists included only 13 women.

This Talk considers the changing position of women in Art History and looks at those artists who have pushed back the boundaries of this male-dominated discipline.

NB Stella is giving weekly live lectures via Zoom visit her website for further informationwww.stellagracelyons.co.uk  (you can't click on this to go to her website, you'll have to type it out)

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This toe-tapping talk looks at the impact The Beatles made on the artists, the designers and the photographers during this musically explosive time.

An explosion of images and ideas accommpanied with The Beatles iconic sound including:      Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band, Norwegian Wood, Here Comes he Sun, I Saw Her Standing There, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite.

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) is agruably the most important Indian artistic figure of the modern era.  A renowned poet, novelist, composer and painter .

Tagore is the only person in history to have written the national anthems for two countries - India and Bangladesh.

The first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, claimed he had two gurus: Gandhi and Tagore.

BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 VIRUS THIS LECTURE HAS BEEN CANCELLED

BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 VIRUS THIS LECTURE HAS BEEN CANCELLED

For the first time in history the garden is able go accommodate elements and approaches from previous generations whilst ensuring that wider considerations, such as ecology, sustainability and the encouragement of wildlife, are at the forefront of any design process.

This talk illustrates and discusses the integration of the old with the new, looks at how both are taken into consideration and asks: what actually constitutes a garden?

BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 VIRUS THIS LECTURE HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED

This is an extraordinary story of Design through Art.

The vision and genius of Isambard Kingdom Brunel underpins this global story of hopes and dreams, disasters and triumphs.

A wide range of ships are featured and brought to life through diverse artworks, including striking Art Deco posters

BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 VIRUS THIS LECTURE HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED - this lecture is now scheduled for 7th July 2012

Sit back and travel to the East where over 2500 years ago the Traders and Armies brought their religion, science and creative arts along the Silk Routes of Central Asia, leaving their rich, cultural mark on the landscape.

From Bukhara - a centre of religious scholarship with its skyline dotted with turquoise domes and minarets - to Samarkand, where Tamerlane brought the artisans from the vast reaches of his empire to create fine manuscripts, inlaid metalwork and build monumental mosques, madrasas and mausolea.

This talk will introduce you to the splendours of these great Silk Road Cities.

Stunningly beautiful, self-made and sexy,  Lempika dazzled Paris' artistic circles in the l920s and 1930s and seduced with her stylish portraits.

She engaged in the world of fashion and photography, as well as represetig herself as the quintessential modern, independent woman.  Despite her glamour and notoriety, her extraoridinary talent and lasting popularity has confirmed her as one of the most iconic painters of her generation.

This illustrated talk starts in the 1880's when high-rise building made its debut in Chicago and New York and looks at he distinct, stylistic phases of skyscraper design during the 20th Century.

Then we tavel East to the oil-rich countries of Asia Pacific where unprecendented economic gowth and technological developments have enabled architects and engineers overcome he ever-present threat of earthquakes and typhoons, allowing them to build higher and higher.

Music scholar Peter Medhurst traces the progress of the English Christmas carol through seven centuries of continuous development and explores the many fascinating stories that lie behind our popular seasonal songs.

The talk will be accompanied with music played on a keyboard.

Our Speaker:  Peter appears in the UK and abroad as a musician and scholar, giving recitals and delivering illustrated lectures on music and the arts.  He studied singing and early keyboard instruments at the Royal College of Music and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

In this talk we celebrate the 200th birthday of the eminent Victorian, John Ruskin.    Ruskin was, from an early age, a man of prodigious genius and infinite curiousity.  He explored, and captured, the entire landscape of human knowledge.  He loved the architecture of Venice, the majesty of the Alps and the tranquil scenery of the Lake District.

In 1840, when he was 21 years old, Ruskin met JMW Turner for whom he had a great regard.  Turner for him represented his ideal 'Modern Painter'.  In the face of industrial development, Turner's defiant, romantic vision struck a chord in the young man's heart.

This talk will open your eyes to the beauty of Ruskin's words and watercolours, and share his delight in the extraordinary visions created by Turner.

Our Speaker: Suzanne Fagence Cooper

Suzanne studied history at Oxford University and Art History at the Courtauld Institute and at Christie's Education.  She was a Curator and Research Fellow at the V&A Museum for 12 years and is now a Visitiung Fellow at the University of York.

She is currently Research Curator at York Art Gallery, working on an exhibition     Turner, Ruskin and the Storm Cloud which opens in Spring 2019 in York and Kendal

Fine art has provided advertisers and their agencies with a great deal of material to use in their creative campaigns.

This talk reveals some of the processes by which these advertisements have been created and why the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo have been a particularly rich source.  From the Renaisaance through to the present day, fine art continues to provide opportunities to enhance Brand imagery with admiration, humour, satire and irony.

in this entertaining and informative talk a wide range of visuals and video are used to show examples of the original works, the creative process and (not always entirely successful) advertisements that are the end result.

Our Speaker: Tony comes from a background in advertising that began in 1965 when he joined J. Walter Thompson as a mail boy.  He graduated through their training system to become an account director and worked in a number of agencies before setting up on his own in 1985,  primarily to handle Guinness accounts in Africa and the Caribbean, where he produced many commercials and ads for them over a period of 15 years.

He remains active in the industry, but now concentrates more on philanthropic projects - producing a film in the rural villages of Nigeria for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and recently completing a sanitation project in Haiti after it was devastated by Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

Georgia O'Keeffe, often recognised as the 'mother of American Modernism' was born in 1887.  She lived until she was 99.

It was as early as at the age of 10 she decided that she wanted to become and artist and spent her life learning and teaching painting.

O'Keeffe, most probably known  for her magnified depiction of flowers, went on to paint the New York skyline and sky-scrapers before she travelled to New Mexico, at the end of the 1920's, where she explored and painted the mountains and deserts that so captivated her and became her life's work.

Art historian, working artist and our Speaker today gives an account of the challenges she faced when crossing the Mexican desert in pursuit of a greater understanding of O'Keeffe's work - and, at the same time,   testing her own landscaping painting skills on the way.

Our Speaker:

Lydia Bauman is an art historian and working artist with her own gallery in London.  She has a special passion for the work of O'keeffe (see above).

This talk celebrates and explores the life and work of the 'forgotten man' of Scottish art.  Charles Hodge Mackie RSA RSW (1862-1920) was well-connected in artistic circles.  Whilst on his honeymoon in France he met Gauguin who was to have a great influence on his painting.  He numbered the 'Glasgow Boys' among his friends.   His life and art are associated with a variety of places including Paris, Normandy, Italy and Venice and Scotland.

In Edinburgh, where his studio was located, he made a significant contribution to the city's artistic and social life, as a founder member and chairman of the Society of Scottish Artists.  He worked in an impressive range of media: oils, watercolours, murals, woodblock prints, tooled leather and sculpture.

Our Speaker:  Pat Clark is a retired headteacher with a passion for Charles Mackie.  A  degree in history from the University of St Andrews was followed by a career in education, north and south of the border.  Two years with VSO in Cambodia preceded her retirement.  Now an independent researcher and writer,  she is the author of         'People, Places and Piazzas.  The Life and Art of Charles H. Mackie' published in 2016.

The fears and anxieties of Vienna in the final years before the outbreak of the Great War found expression in the writing of Freud, the music of Gustav Mahler and the haunting paintings of Klimt, Kokoschka and Schiele. Shimmering portraits flecked with gold; hypnotic landscapes of vibrant brushstrokes; erotic dreams of decadence and death reveal a society in search for salvation at a time when mankind had lost faith in its future.  

This talk traces the course of this brief, often dark but always dazzlingly inventive period of art.

Our Speaker: Douglas Skeggs

Cambridge Fine Arts.  Writer, Artist, TV Peenter.  Lecturer to many London art courses.  Director of the New Academy of Arts.  Author of 6 novels.

The work of women photographers has often been unfairly neglected.   This talk seeks to correct that by examining the contribution of three outstanding British practitioners: Julia Margaret Cameron, a Victorian pioneer; Jane Bown a brilliant portraitist (with many credits and awards to her name for her work with the Observer newspaper) and Fay Godwin, who excelled in landscape photography.

We also explore the work of two highly influential American photographers -  Dorothea Lange, who excelled in documentary images and Annie Leibovitz, who continues to both surprise and delight her audience and subjects alike, one of whom was Queen Elizabeth II, who posed for Leibovitz.

Our Speaker: Brian Stater is a Senior Teaching Fellow at University College London, where he has lectured since 1997 and is also a very popular speaker with the Arts Society.

An exhibition of Brian's own photographs has been staged at UCL.  He is an engaging and amusing speaker who seeks to entertain as well as inform his audience.

 Leonardo da Vinci believed that art was based on a scientific understanding of everything depicted and accurate representation depended on him getting under the skin and into the mind of his subjects.

A retired surgeon, who is our Speaker today, shares his life-long passion, fascination and amiration fofr the ground-breaking work of this Renaissance genius.

Our Speaker:  Guy comes from the world of science, and surgery in particular.  He describes himseslf as a retired surgeon with a passion for Leonardo da Vinci and acknowledges the contribution the artist has made to medical knowledge with his drawings of the human anatomy.

From 1912 Tom Thomson and 'the Group of Seven' revolutionised Canadian painting. Some were war artists who went on to produce delightful portraits and townscapes; but all of them were inspired by the Canadian landscape and the wilderness to the 'north'.  The early focus was on Algonquin Park near Toronto - into which Tom Thomson mysteriously disappeared in 1917.  The others continued to paint for two decades and their paintings not only 'moulded the way Canadians looked at their land', they also 'capture the eye, stir the memory and feed the heart'.  The talk will discuss the main artists within the group (including Thomson, FH Varley, Lawren Harris and AY Jackson) and show many of their defining works.

Our Speaker: Dr Richard Thomas completed an MA in Canada in Development Studies and a PhD from Trinity College, Dublin in History and Political Science.  His career as a teacher in Africa, as an academic at Reading University and as a politial and institutional analyst in the field of International Development enabled him to travel widely in Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.  He always sought to understand the Arts, Architecture and Culture wherever he was in helping him illuminate the past and explaini the present.

The jewellery of the Deco period was exceptionally distinctive and in this talk we will discover the extraordinary talents that lay behind the jewellery of the Art Deco period.  Where did all the inspiration come from for this elaborate period of jewellery design? We are taken on a journey through India, Persia, China, Egypt and Japan as we dance with the Ballet Russes and as we swim through a sparkling sea of sapphires, emeralds and amethysts to understand how this period of jewellery became a contrast of colour and form - how black or vivid colours, rigid forms or circles all worked together to create some of the most memorable and collectable pieces of jewellery made by the likes of Cartier, Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels.

Our Speaker: Susan Rumfitt is an independent jewellery consultant who regularly appears on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow.  Following a career with Christie's and Phillips Fine Art, Susan established her consultancy business operating from her gallery in the centre of Harrogate in North Yorkshire.

Contrary to popular myth, the Victorians knew how to have a merry time - particularly at Christmas.  The 1830's and 40's heralded the introduction of the Christmas tree, the world's first Christmas card, the pantomime and crackers.    The Victorians impact on how we celebrate Christmas is a fascinating and long-lasting tradition.

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This lecture explores the birth of the Soviet mosaic from its roots in Islamic mosaics and Communist propagandist posters through to the question of preservation in post-Soviet Central Asia.  

We explore why Soviet thinking was so keen to bring art out of galleries and into public spaces, and how, in an era when Socialist Realism was the only pemitted artistic expression, every public artwork came with a message, a value and an agenda.

How did Soviet artists deal with the uncomfortable reality that Muslim Central Asia was under Russian colonial conquest?  In what ways were gender, race, work, leisure and achievement important when it came to shaping Central Asians' ideas about their own identity within the wide Soviet family?

Our Speaker: Chris was born in Turkey and spent his childhood there and in war-torn Beirut.  After studying Media and Journalism at Leicester University he moved to Khiva, a desert oasis in Uzbekistan, establishing a UNESCO workshop reviving 15th century carpet designs and embroideries, creating work for women. After returning to the UK and writing A Carpet Ride to Khiva, he moved to Tajikistan, for 3 years, training yak herders to comb their yaks for their cashmere-like down.  Then a move to Kyrgyzstan and living in the world's largest, natural walnut forest and establishing a wood-carving workshop.      

Chris has recently finished rowing and studying at Oxford.  He is now a curate in North London.

Once ubiquitous in sea-side towns, artist-drawn postcards entertained, inspired, informed and lifted the spirits of senders and recipients alike.                                                                      Discover the popular themes and styles by the masters of the medium.

JAMES TAYLOR studied at the Universities of St Andrews and Manchester and is a former curator of painings, drawings and prints, and co-ordinator of various exhibitions and galleries at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.  He is also lecturer and ships' historian on board cruise ships.

Born in Sweden in 1707, Carl Linnaeus is one of the most important scientists in history.  He is famous for his work in Taxonomy - the science of identifying, naming and classifying organisms (plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, etc).                                                                                       In this talk we explore the story of plants through his work. 

A note on the speaker: Fascinated by plants since a small boy Mark Spencer became a field botanist for a regional conservation organisation.  After 12 years as a museum curator at the Natural History Museum he is now a consultant forensic botanist, public speaker and occasional radio and television personality.

Telling the intriguing story of the first Modernist block of flats in England which offered a revolutionary concept in living for young professionals.  It became a lively club that attracted artists, writers, intellectuals, civil servants and spies.

A note on the speaker: Curator of the Schroder Collection, a private art collection.  Studied for her MA in the History of Art at the Courtauld Inst.  Worked for many years as an academic direftor and lecturer for Christie's Education.  Appears regularly as a furniture specialist on the Antiques Roadshow.

Experience the story of gold and its significance and symbolism within the history of art. From creations ancient and contemporary, sacred and profane - all that glitters certainly is gold!

A note about the speaker:

After studying at St Martins School of Art and the London College of Printing, Alexandra Epps became  a graphic designer running a design consultancy for many years.  She is a Guide and Lecturer at both Tate Britain and Tate Modern.  She is a Member of the City of London Guide Lecturers Association and a Freeman of the City of London.

Co-author of the book Lord Mayor's Portraits 1983-2014 (pub 2015)

Books of Hours are probably the most famous of all medieval illuminated manuscripts, often including enchanting paintings of religious and secular scenes.

A note on the lecturer: Donnelley Fellow Librarian of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.  Was responsible for all catalogues and sales of illuminated manuscripts at Sotheby's for 25 years until 2000.  Has doctorates from both Oxford and Cambridge and two honourary doctorates.  He has written well over 100 books and major articles on medieval manuscripts, translated into numerous languages.  He is probably the best-known expert on medieval manuscripts in the world.

 Once a refugee camp on the coast of the Adriatic, Venice became a wealthy republic and trade centre.  A link between the east and the west it produced some of the finest art, architecture and music in the world.

A note about the speaker:  Hugh Ellwood studied philosophy in Rome, followed by a degree in architecture at the University of Manchester. Previously an architect partner with a large multi-discipline design organisation in the UK.  For several years was visiting lecturer in the history of art and architecture at the University of Central Lancashire.  Has lectured extensively to various societies and organisations, including cruises, on art and architecture. 

SUMMARY OF TALK

Venice is the most beautiful city in the world and yet it started life as a refugee camp when northern Italy was invaded by Germanic tribes in the 6th cenury and people fled to a marshy island in a lagoon by the Adriatic.

The Rialto                                                                                                                       The Rialto is the oldest of the three bridges spanning the canal. It was built in 1440 with a rising cental section to accommodate tall ships but was somewhat unstable.  In the 16th century a competition was held attracting the likes of Michelangelo, Palladio and Sansovino but it was won by Antonio de Ponte.

The Ca d'Oro                                                                                                                   One of the most beautiful palaces in Venice, it was builg for the Cohtarini faily who provided Venice with eight Doges between 1043 and 1676.  It is a cross between a medieval church and a mosque.

St Mark's Square                                                                                                                A remark attributed to Napoleon described the square as 'the drawing room of Europe.  It is oe of the few great urban spaces of Europe where the sound of human voices prevails over that of traffic.

St Mark's Basilica                                                                                                               The original basilica was built in 829 for St Mark's remains.  It was destroyed by fire and rebuilg as we see it today between 1043 and 1071 and was largely a combination of Byzantine and Romanesque styles.

Doge's Palace                                                                                                                      This facade of the palace was the first part of the present building to be built.  At ground foor level is an open portico with pointed arches and columns without bases.  On the floor above is a log loggia with ogee arches and quatrefoil openings.  Finally. the uooper floor with its large, pointed arch openings

Chiesa del Redentore                                                                                                       1576 It was the only commission given to Palladio by the Republic of Venice; it was also one of his last works and one of his most important.

S Georgio Maggiore 1566-1610.                                                                                       This church was Palladio's first project for the complete reconstruction of a religious building.  Its position on the island of San Giorgio meand it would alwlays be a prominent landmark.

S Maria della Salute 1630                                                                                                    In 1630 with the plague raging in Venice, the Senate ade a vow to erect a church to the Madonna when the scourge came to an end. In fulfilnent of this pkedge, Baldassare Longhena designed Santa Maria della Salute which is one of the most famous landmarks of Venice, thanks to its position at the opening of the Grand Canal.

Piazetta Library and Campanile                                                                                         The library in the Piazetta of St Mark's was intended to house a precious collection of books donated to the city by Cardinal Bessarione.It was designed by, a High Renaissance architect and contemporary of Michelangelo.  When Sansovino undertook the work of the library, he made the Campanile free-standing and joined the Piazza and the Piazetta together about 1540.

Campo San Zaccaria                                                                                                    Campo S Zaccaria is one of the most delightful squares in Venice combining  lovely architecture ad peaceful silence.  In the Church of S Zaccaria is an alterpiece by Giovanni Bellini, which marked he beginning of the Venetian Renaissance art.

Giorgione, 1478-1510                                                                                                       With the Dresden Venus, Girogione created an image which was to haunt great artists fo four centuries.  Titian, Velasquez, Goya, Ingres, Manet and Cezanne were all to pay homage to its calm, powerful beauty.

Titian 1490-1576                                                                                                               Titian was one of the most veersatile of Italian painters,equally adept with portraits, landscape backgrounds and mythological and religious subjects.  He was particularl interested in the use of colour.

Veronese 1528-1588                                                                                                           He was born in Verona but noved to Venice and is known for large-format history paintings or religion and mythology.

Tintoretto 1518-1594                                                                                                       His work is chartacerised by its muscular figures, dramatic gestures and bold use of perspective.  His pictures are full of drama, disorientation and glaring colours.

Vivaldi 1678-1741                                                                                                                                    He was a composer and violinist and wrote 500 instrumental concertos, several choral works and over forty operas.  Many of his compositions were written for the female music ensemble of thr Ospedale della Pieta where he worked ffrom 1707-40.  He also adapted instruments for physically-disabled children.

Canaletto 1697-1768                                                                                                  Giovanni Antonio Canal was born in 1697 near the Rialto.  He worked with his father as a stage designer.  He has always been one of the more popular old masters, particularly among the Englsh.  He raised the status of painters of vedute (views) to the rank of other artists.

Tiepolo 1696-1770                                                                                                                    Giambattista Tiepolo was born in Venice and his father died when he was one year old.  His father had been a trader in shipping so left the family comfortably off.  Tiepolo trained with an obscure, local painter, but at the age of 20 he branched out on his own after having won a competition.

Francesco Guardi 1712-1793                                                                                       Francesco Guardi was a painter of vedute.  He was born of a minor noble family and his father and brothers were also painters.  He initially worked on landscapes and figures and moved to vedute under the influence of Canaletto.

This talk examines the work of a textile conservator and explains why textile conservation should be left to the experts.

In the wrong hands a precious object may well be ruined!

A note about the speaker:  Jacqueline Hyman gained her textile conservation experience with Museum's Service.  She is an accredited Conservator-Restorer and has appeared on Channel; 4, BBC-2 and the Discovery Channel.

This talk looks at the way Silversmiths responded to the changes in fashion.  Looking at the influence of the Arts & Crafts Movement, the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods up to the 1960's when British Silversmithing made its mark on the world.

A note about the speaker:  Ian Pickford is a Freeman of the Goldsmiths' Company, Freeman of the City of London, Lecturer University of London, University of Surrey, The Victoria & Albert Museum, National Trust and The Art Fund.  Broadcasts on both television and radio.

Author, Editor: Jackson's Silver & Gold Marks

This Christmas-themed lecture looks at the mid-Victorian Christmas through the gaze of Isabella Beeton.  Her Book of Household Management, published in 1861, contains a number of Christmas recipes.  The customs we consider part of the 'traditional' Christmas were invented then.               The lecture uses recipe bookls and depictions of dinner to think about the Christmas dinner and cards, house decorations, etchings and book illustrations to show the development of Christmas as we know it now.

A note about the speaker:  Dr Annie Gray is a food historian whose PhD looked at changes in dining in the 19th century.  She works across the heritage industry as a consultant on food and dining.  She has appeared on programmes such as The Great British Bake Off  and is a regular panel member on Radio 4's The Kitchen Cabinet.

June, 1940.  German troops enter Paris.  The dark days of occupation begin.   Les Parisiennes, based on her book, is a story about women's lives during the dark years of Nazi occupation and afterwards. Native Parisiennes and temporary residents - American women and Nazi wives; spies, mothers, mistresses, artists, fashion designers and aristocrats; collaborators and resisters. 

By 1940 wartime Paris became a city of women.

A note about the speaker: Anne Sebba is the author of 10 books; mostly biographies including Jennie Churchill, William Bankes, Laura Ashley and Wallis Simpson.  Her most recent book Les Parisiennes was published in 2016

2017 sees the 200th anniversary of the early death of Jane Austen.  She was 41 years old.

She wrote only six novels and yet is one of the most famous and popular English novelists of all time.

She led a quiet life mostly at the family rectory.  She never left her parents home, never married, never had a real relationship with a man, and yet, was a master or mistress of the romantic novel.

Her understanding of the society in which she lived and the restrained, amused and ironic language she uses to expose its complexities are what make her novels the timeless studies of love, class and money.

She was a minimalist in her choice of words but always achieved the maximum effect with them, which makes her work accessible to all readers from Bath to Berlin, from Moscow to Manhattan, from 1817 to 2017.

Join us on this exploratory journey and find out who Jane Austen was and how she discovered and achieved her remarkable talent.

In 1945  Jim Thompson a US Army Officer arrived in Bangkok fell in love with it and stayed.

Captivated by the lustrous beauty of Thai silk he resuscitated an ancient craft that was in decline and made it famous, creating costumes for films and embellishing his historic house which today is a museum.

An aesthete and art collector, he created an exquisite home from 6 hand-carved teakwood houses brought from the countryside and filled it with Asian art.  Here he became a society celebrity host.

This lecture describes his achievements, showing the intricacy of silk production and its artistic heritage, including royal robes and dance costumes.  It touches on films with his silks, such as The King and I, reveals his house and his art collection and reflects on a life that ended abruptly with his mysterious disappearance.

in 1883 Monet moved into Le Pressoir, Giverny where he created his famous garden.  

Here in Normandy he initially painted the ubiquitous poplars and haystacks before devoting himself to the floral canvas of his own making until his death in 1926.

Monet was botanically and horitculturally skilled and sourced and grew the latest and exotic irises and water lilies.  He was enraptured by them and as the day reflected its course on their shapes and colours he captured these moments, for eternity, in over 500 paintings.

The restoration of his garden at Giverny provides the canvas to explore the man, his paintings and the garden itself.

The Lecture is based on Caroline Holmes' book Monet at Giverny