Previous Lectures

Past Speakers

Paul Atterbury, James Ayres, Dr. Adam Bowett, Graham Child, Dr Bernard Cotton, Sean Clarke, Christopher Claxton Stevens, the late Robin Day OBE, David Dewing, Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, Conal Gregory MW, Luke Hughes, Christie Jackson, the late Michael Legg, Raymond Leigh MBE, John Makepeace OBE, Jonathan Meyer, Christopher Payne, Carolyn Sargentson, Professor Floris Van Den Broeke, Andrew Varah, Gareth Williams, Lucy Wood, James York.


Details of Previous Lectures

Event 13 - 13th October 2011
Held at The Royal Over-Seas League, St James's Street, London
First Lecture: Copies of French Furniture in the South Kensington Museum
Speaker: Carolyn Sargentson
Carolyn Sargentson was Head of Research at the V&A Museum until 2009, retaining an honorary position as a Senior Research Fellow, she is now working on a four-volume catalogue of French furniture in the Museum. Her lecture was based on unpublished research on the South Kensington Museum's encouragement of copying furniture in its collections. The founding collection of French furniture, the John Jones bequest, came to the Museum in 1882, and French workshops in particular used the Collection as a source for making copies.
Second Lecture: Furniture to die for: meet your maker here
Speaker: Andrew Varah
Andrew is one of the most respected of British contemporary designer craftsmen. Andrew's work is wide-ranging in style and influence, sometimes drawn from architectural detail and often involving intricate inlay. He is the only maker in the world producing infinity models- some of the cleverest designs in modern furniture. There is often a marked sense of humour in his work, including secret compartments which he challenges clients to find. He has also played an important role in the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers, including chairing the Bespoke Guild Mark Committee (2006-9) and chairing the Liveries Wood Group.

Event 12 - 28th October 2010
Held at The Royal Over-Seas League, St Jame's Street, London
First Lecture: The Gothic Revival
Speaker: Dr. Paul Atterbury
Paul, a well-known face to many television viewers, is a regular contributor to the BBC Antiques Roadshow. He is a lecturer, broadcaster and curator specialising in art, architecture and design of the 19th and 20th centuries. He has curated a number of exhibitions (including several at the Victoria and Albert Museum) and is an author of many books on ceramics, silver, social history, canals and railways.
Second Lecture: Campaign Furniture
Speaker: Sean Clarke
Sean is a distinguished antique dealer from Stow-in-the-Wold, specialising in campagin furniture. He publishes an annual catalogue on campaign furniture, and together with his brother, Simon, has undertaken considerable research on the subject. He is a director of LAPADA, and a past chairman of the Cotswold Art & Antique Dealers Association.

Event 11 - 22nd October 2009
Held at The Royal Over-Seas League, St James's Street, London
First Lecture: Linking Land and Sea – Frederick Parker aboard Cunard's Fleet
Speaker: Christie Jackson
Christie is an aquatic biologist and ecosystem researcher, with qualifications in biology, ecology, the arts, culture and education. She is a museum curator who has spent many weeks in the Parker archives researching Frederick Parker's activities as a specialist ship furnisher.
Second Lecture: A Master of Wine's Approach to Period Furniture
Speaker: Conal Gregory
MW Conal Gregory is a Master of Wine, journalist, author of wine books and a consultant to vintners. He is a former Member of Parliament and County Councillor for Norfolk, and has written an article for The Times which featured our Queen Anne silvered chair.

Event 10 - 30th October 2008
Held at The Royal Over-Seas League, St James's Street, London
First Lecture: The Hidden Pleasures of Research
Speaker: Dr Bernard (Bill) Cotton
Bill is an internationally known historian on regional and vernacular furniture. He is the author of the standard reference book, "The English Regional Chair" (1990), "Scottish Vernacular Furniture" (2008), and is the co-founder, past Chairman and President of The Regional Furniture Society.
Second Lecture: The Past and Future of Contemporary Furniture
Speaker: Gareth Williams
Gareth Williams is a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum's department of Furniture, Textiles and Fashion. He is the author of "The Furniture Machine: Furniture since 1990", "Telling Tales" (2009) and organised a major exhibition of contemporary furniture at the V & A.

Event 9 - 30th October 2007
First Lecture: Patina: the Romance of British Furniture
Speaker: Christopher Claxton Stevens
Christopher is a former director of Norman Adams, a past chairman of the Regional Furniture Society, and a trustee of the Frederick Parker Foundation, The Geffrye Museum, and the Chiltern Open Air Museum. He is the author of "Eighteenth Century English Furniture- the Norman Adams Collection", and co-author of "British Furniture, 1600-2006" (2005).
Second Lecture: Function, Structure and Expression
Speaker: John Makepeace OBE
John Makepeace is one of our most distinguished designers. He is a maker of bespoke furniture of the finest quality and innovative design. A former member of the Crafts council, he founded the Parnham Trust, through which he taught a generation of now highly successful designers and makers. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers, the Institute of Management and the Royal Society of Arts. In 1998 John was awarded the OBE for services to furniture design.

Event 8 - 18th October 2006
 Held at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London
Lecture : Visual Exploration of the unique archive of Francois Linke
Speaker: Christopher Payne
Christopher is a familiar face to many as an expert on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow. He is a former director of Sotheby's Furniture Department and the author of "Nineteenth Century European Furniture" (1981), "Animals in Bronze" (1985), and "Francois Linke- the Belle Epoque of French Furniture" (2003).

Event 7 - 20th October 2005
Held at Chatham House, St James's Square, London
First Lecture: Furniture Exhibitions Makers and Artisans
Speaker: Jonathan Meyer
Jonathan is a director of Sotheby's, a past chairman of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' Fine Arts Faculty and a lecturer and author with a degree in Theology.
Second Lecture: Gorden Russell -'The Broadway Adventure'
Speaker: Ray Leigh MBE
Ray is an architect, furniture and interior designer. He is a past chairman of Gordon Russell and the chairman of the Gordon Russell Trust.

Event 6 - 28th October 2004
Held at Chatham House, St James's Square, London
First Lecture : English Chairs of State 1660-1727
Speaker: Dr. Adam Bowet
t Dr Bowett is a leading furniture historian. He is the author of "English Furniture- Charles II to Queen Anne 1660-1714".
Second Lecture: Design & Manufacture Friend or Foe?
Speaker: Professor Floris Van den Broecke
Floris held the Chair at the Royal College of Art for Furniture Design, is an international designer and design director of Ercol Furniture.

Event 5 - 30th October 2003
Held at Chatham House, St James's Square, London
First Lecture: English Cane Chairs Origins & Influences in the late 17th Century
Speaker: David Dewing
David is chairman of the Regional Furniture Society and a director of the Geffrye Museum.
Second Lecture: Vernacular Furniture in Context
Speaker: James Ayres
James is a director of the John Judkyn Memoril-American Museum, and an author.
Lectures sponsered by Bonhams

Event 4 - 31st October 2002
Held at Church House, Westminster, London
Lecture : The Head, the Heart and the Hand
Speaker: Professor Sir Christopher Frayling
Sir Christopher is the vice-provost of The Royal College of Art, Professor of Cultural History and former Rector. A distinguished cultural historian, he is a broadcaster, critic and author.
Lecture sponsored by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Event 3 - 17th September 2001
Held at Christie's, King Street, London
First Lecture: Chair Research
Speaker: Lucy Wood
Lucy is a curator at The Lady Lever Art Gallery, an author and historian.
Second Lecture: Chair Design
Speaker: Luke Hughes
Luke is a furniture designer and manufacturer. He is a liveryman of the Furniture Maker's Company and enthusiastic mountaineer.
Lectures sponsored by Christie's

Event 2 - 26th October 2000
Held at The Linnean Society, Burlington House, London
First Lecture: The Polypropylene Chair
Speaker: The Late Robin Day OBE, FCSD
Robin Day was one of the most revered and accomplished British furniture designer of the 20th century. A great pioneer of contemporary furniture during the 1950's, 60's and 70's, he created many world firsts in furniture design, including the ubiquitous Poly range of chairs- being the biggest selling chair range in history, and described as "one of the most democratic modern designs of the 20th century. Robin was awarded an OBE for services to the furniture industry.
Second Lecture: The Cabriole Leg
Speaker: Professor Bernard (Bill) Cotton
Bill is a former president of the Regional Furniture Society and is a distinguished furniture historian, author and lecturer.

Event 1 - 28th October 1999
Held at The Linnean Society, Burlington House, London
Lecture: Four Chairs by Four Enthusiasts
Speaker: Graham Child
Graham is a former Senior Director of Sotheby's furniture department, and a trustee of the Frederick Parker Foundation.
Speaker: Christopher Claxton Stevens
Christopher is a former director at Norman Adams, and a past chairman of the Regional Furniture Society. He is a trustee of the Frederick Parker Foundation.
Speaker: The late Michael Legg
Michael was a well-known antique dealer and vice-president of the Regional Furniture Society. He was a trustee of the Frederick Parker Foundation.
Speaker: James York
James is an assistant curator at the Victoria & Albert Museum.