The Annual Lecture

The 10th Annual Lecture on Thursday 30th October 2008

at The Royal Over-Seas League, Park Place, StJames Street London

Speaker: Dr Bill Cotton.

For full details go to our EVENTS PAGE

These annual lectures are very popular, they start with a reception at 6 o'clock, with a glass of wine and an opportunity of meeting other furniture enthusiasts and the lectures start promptly at 6.45pm.and finish by 8'oclock. An informal dinner is arranged afterwards for everybody's convenience locally for those who are interested.

These lectures are serious, a good opportunity for learning more about a furniture topic. We have been most fortunate in having the following distinguished lecturers in the past.

Speakers

James Ayres, Dr. Adam Bowett, Dr Bernard Cotton, Robin Day OBE, David Dewing, Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, Luke Hughes, Raymond Leigh MBE, John Makepeace OBE, Jonathan Meyer, Christopher Payne, Lucy Wood, Christopher Claxton Stevens, Michael Legg and Professor Floris Van Den Broeke. Please see below for more information on these speakers.

Past Lectures

The 9th Annual Lecture - 30th October 2007

Talk: “Patina: the Romance of British Furniture”
Lecturer: Christopher Claxton Stevens

  • Director Norman Adams
  • A Past Chairman of the Regional Furniture Society
  • Trustee –The Geffrye Museum, Chiltern Open Air Museum and Frederick Parker Foundation
  • Author of
    • 18TH Century English Furniture- The Norman Adams Collection
    • Co-author of British Furniture, 1600-2006 (2005)

Second Talk “Function, Structure and Expression”
Lecturer: John Makepeace OBE

  • Internationally know as one of our leading designers and makers of bespoke furniture of the finest quality of innovative design.
  • Founder member the Crafts Council.
  • Founded the Parnham Trust and between 1977 and 2001 he taught a generation of now very successful designers and makers.
  • Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers, the Institute of Management and the Royal Society of Arts.
  • In 1998 he was awarded on OBE for services to furniture design.

Lecture 8 - 18th October 2006 - R.A.C. Club, Pall Mall

Talk : "Visual Exploration of the unique archive of Francois Linke"

Lecturer: Christopher Payne -

  • BBC Antique Road Show expert
  • Past Director Sotheby's Furniture Depart
  • Author of
    • 19th Cent.European Furn (1981)
    • Animals in Bronze (1985)
    • Francois Linke - The Belle Epoque of French Furniture (2003)

Lecture 7 - 20th October 2005 - Chatham House

Talk : "Furniture Exhibitions Makers and Artisans"

Lecturer : Jonathan Myer -

  • Director of Sotheby's
  • Past Chairman of RICS Fine Arts Faculty
  • Lecturer and Author with a degree in Theology

Talk : "Gorden Russell -'The Broadway Adventure'"

Lecturer : Ray Leigh MBE -

  • Architect, furniture and interior designer
  • Past Chairman of Gordon Rusell
  • Chairman of Gordon Russell Trust

Lecture 6 - 28th October 2004 - Chatham House

Talk : "English Chairs of State 1660-1727"

Lecturer : Dr Adam Bowett -

  • Author and leading Furniture Historian
  • Author of "English Furniture -Charles 11 to Queen Anne 1660-1714"

Talk : "Design & Manufacture Friend or Foe?'"

Lecturer : Profess. Floris Van den Broecke -

  • Held the Chair at Royal College of Art for Furniture Design,
  • International designer
  • Design Director or Ercol Furniture

Lecture 5 - 30th October 2003 - Chatham House

Talk : "English Cane Chairs Origins & Influences in the late 17th Century"

Lecturer : David Dewing-

  • Chairman Regional Furniture Society
  • Director the Geffrye Museum

Talk : "Vernacular Furniture in Context'"

Lecturer : James Ayres -

  • Author and Director of John Judkyn Memorial-American Museum
  • Lecture sponsored by Bonhams

Lecture 4 - 31st October 2002 - Church House

Talk : "The Head, the Heart and the Hand"

Lecturer : Prof.Sir Christopher Frayling -

  • Broadcaster
  • Critic
  • Author
  • Historian, and Profess. Cul. History Rector
  • Vice-Provost The Royal College of Art

Lecture sponsored by- Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors

Lecture 3 - 17th September 2001 - Christie's

Talk : "Chair Research"

Lecturer : Lucy Wood -

  • Curator - The Lady Lever Art Gallery
  • Author
  • Historian

Talk : "Chair Design"

Lecturer : Luke Huges -

  • Furniture Designer and Manufacturer
  • Liveryman
  • Mountaineer

Lecture sponsored by Christie's

Lecture 2 - 26th October 2000 - Linnean Society

Talk : "The Polypropylene Chair"

Lecturer : Robin Day OBE

  • Furniture, Industrial and Interior designer at Hille, John Lewis.

Talk : "The Cabriole Leg"

Lecturer : Profess. Bernard (Bill) Cotton -

  • A Past President Regional Furniture Society Author/Lecturer
  • Historian

Lecture 1 - 28th October 1999 - Linnean Society

Talk : "Four Chairs by Four enthusiasts"

Lecturer : Graham Child

  • Former Senior Director - Furniture Department Sotheby's

Lecturer : Christopher Claxton Stevens

  • Director - Norman Adams
  • A Past Chairman - Regional Furniture Society

Lecturer : Michael Legg

  • Principle Michael Legg Antiques
  • Vice President of the Regional Furniture Society - The Regional Furniture Society

Lecturer : James York

  • Assistant Curator - Victoria and Albert Museum