FALL
R O YA L OAK P ROG RAM S
2015
Made possible Made possible by the Drue by the Heinz DrueTrust Heinz Trust
FALL 2015 PROGRAM NEWS Sincere Thanks to Our Principal Sponsors for The Drue Heinz Lectures The Royal Oak Foundation’s national program of lectures is made possible by the continued generosity of the Drue Heinz Trust, our lead sponsor for the past 23 years. The committed support of the Drue Heinz Trust enables us to maintain a high quality of programming each season and for this we are deeply appreciative. For the Fall 2015 season we also gratefully acknowledge additional support for The Drue Heinz Lectures from the Marian Meaker Apteckar Foundation.
Thank You for Royal Oak Regional Lecture Support We are grateful to Royal Oak members Ms. Leonora M. Ballinger, The Reverend Terence Blackburn, Mr. & Mrs. R. Kirkwood Brodie III, Julie and Bob Daum, Dr. and Mrs. Daniel M. Ervin, Jim Gordy, Martha Hamilton and I. Wistar Morris III, Mr. and Mrs. Harlow N. Higinbotham, Diana J. Mackie, Mr. Albert Messina and Mr. Ken Jennings, Mr. Robert Ohlerking and Mr. Christopher LiGreci, Mr. Robert Steiner, The Stoddart Family, John and Phillis Warden, and 2 Anonymous donors for generously providing funding as lecture adopters this season. Thank you to an Anonymous donor for their support of our San Francisco lectures. Thank you to FREEMAN’s for partnering and supporting Royal Oak in Philadelphia, Washington DC, Charleston, Los Angeles, San Diego and Boston. We remain grateful to Bank of America for kindly hosting a noted Washington DC lecture. Our gratitude goes to Holland and Company, Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, and Spalding Nix Fine Art for their assistance and gracious hospitality in hosting our Atlanta lectures. Our deep appreciation to Arader Galleries in California for hosting our San Francisco lectures and receptions.
Please join us for the eighteenth
Timeless Design Gala presenting the Timeless Design Award to
Kips Bay Decorator Show House and the Heritage Award to
Dr. Susan Weber, Founder & Director of Bard Graduate Center Tuesday, the twenty-seventh of October, 2015 Metropolitan Club, The City of New York For more information about the Timeless Design Gala, please contact Chelcey Berryhill at: cberryhill@royal-oak.org or 212.480.2889 ext. 212. royal-oak.org/support/timeless Cover Photo: The kitchen at Uppark, West Sussex Photo: ©National Trust Images/Nadia Mackenzie
AT-A-GLANCE
Times listed are lecture or departure times. Check individual listings for reception times.
SEPTEMBER 30
6:00pm
Judith Flanders
Boston, MA
Judith Flanders Exhibition Tour: Alice at 150 Judith Flanders Dr. Michael Shelden Dr. Michael Shelden Judith Flanders Judith Flanders Joanna Norman Dr. Tessa Murdoch Joanna Norman Private Tour: Beekman Place Dr. Tessa Murdoch Joanna Norman Lisa White Lisa White Lisa White Music Performance: Vocali3e Trio Music Performance: Vocali3e Trio Timeless Design Gala Sonia Purnell Private Passions: Chicago Sonia Purnell
Philadelphia, PA New York, NY New York, NY Atlanta, GA Charleston, SC Chicago, IL Washington, DC Los Angeles, CA New York, NY San Diego, CA New York, NY Philadelphia, PA San Francisco, CA Philadelphia, PA New York, NY Boston, MA New York, NY Philadelphia, PA New York, NY New York, NY Chicago, IL Chicago, IL
Sonia Purnell Dr. Michael Shelden Dr. Michael Shelden Earl of Shaftesbury Private Passions: New York City Earl of Shaftesbury Tessa Boase Earl of Shaftesbury Private Tour: Salmagundi Club Tessa Boase Tessa Boase Duke of Wellington Tessa Boase Duke of Wellington Tessa Boase Private Tour: Explorers Club Heritage Circle Event: Yacht Trip Curt DiCamillo
Philadelphia, PA Washington DC Boston, MA New York, NY New York, NY Philadelphia, PA New York, NY Chicago, IL New York, NY Charleston, SC Los Angeles, CA New York, NY San Francisco, CA Philadelphia, PA San Diego, CA New York, NY San Diego, CA New York, NY
Celebrating the Season
New York, NY
OCTOBER 1 2 5 6 7 7 8 12 13 13 14 14 15 19 20 22 22 23 27 28 29 30
6:30pm 10:45am 6:00pm 6:30pm 6:15pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 6:30pm 6:00pm 6:45pm 4:15pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 6:30pm 6:00pm 6:00pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 6:00pm 5:30pm 6:30pm
NOVEMBER 2 2 3 5 6 9 10 11 12 12 16 18 18 19 19 20 20 23
6:30pm 7:00pm 6:00pm 6:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 11:00am 6:15pm 7:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 4:00pm 6:00pm 6:00pm
DECEMBER 3
5:30pm
AT-A-GLANCE | 3
PUBLIC LECTURES NEW YORK NEW YORK CITY Please note times as they may vary. Doors will open 30 minutes early. Each lecture is followed by a reception and some are followed by a book-signing. Business attire is suggested.
Photo: courtesy of the British Museum
The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens’ London Judith Flanders | Historian & Author Monday, October 5, 6:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members Co-sponsors: The Victorian Society of America, Metro Chapter; The ESU, NY Branch; American Friends of Attingham The Strand from the corner of Villiers Street, 1824
Location: The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen Library, 20 West 44th Street Additional funding for this lecture has been generously provided by Mr. Robert Ohlerking and Mr. Christopher LiGreci
Traitors or Tastemakers? Recusant Country Houses & Collections Photo: ©National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel
Dr. Tessa Murdoch | Deputy Keeper, Victoria & Albert Museum Tuesday, October 13, 6:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members Co-sponsors: Yale Center for British Art; American Friends of Attingham Location: The Explorers Club, 46 East 70th Street Additional funding for this lecture has been generously provided by The Reverend Terence Blackburn
Lisa White | Furniture and Interiors Historian Tuesday, October 20, 6:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members Co-sponsors: American Friends of Attingham; Furniture History Society Location: The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen Library, 20 West 44th Street Additional funding for this lecture has been generously provided by John & Phillis Warden
4 | PUBLIC LECTURES
Detail of the Boulle clock case in the Staircase Hall at Uppark, West Sussex
Photo: © National Trust Images/John Hammond
Cabinets and Curiosities: Furniture in the National Trust’s Collection
NEW YORK CITY
NEW YORK
First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill Sonia Purnell | Best-Selling Author Wednesday, October 28, 6:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members Co-sponsors: The Churchill Centre; St. George’s Society; College of Arms Foundation Location: The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen Library, 20 West 44th Street Additional funding for this lecture has been generously provided by Ms. Leonora Ballinger
Nicholas Ashley-Cooper | 12th Earl of Shaftesbury Thursday, November 5, 6:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members Co-sponsors: American Friends of the Georgian Group; ICAA, NY Branch Location: Bonhams, 580 Madison Avenue Winston and Clementine Churchill, 1914
Additional funding for this lecture has been generously provided by Mr. Albert Messina and Mr. Ken Jennings
The Housekeeper’s Tale: The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House Tessa Boase | Journalist & Author Tuesday, November 10, 6:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members Co-sponsors: JASNA, NY Metro Region; American Friends of Attingham Location: Abigail Adams Smith Auditorium, 417 East 61st Street Additional funding for this lecture has been generously provided by an Anonymous Donor The New Kitchen at Erdigg, Clwyd
PUBLIC LECTURES | 5
Photo: © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra
Photo: © Mary Evans Picture Library 2008
A Family Legacy Restored: St. Giles House
NEW YORK NEW YORK CITY The Battle of Waterloo and its Legacy Charles Wellesley | 9th Duke of Wellington OBE DL Wednesday, November 18, 6:00 p.m. $35 members and co-sponsors only; $45 members’ guests Co-sponsor: St. George’s Society Location: The Union League Club of New York, 38 East 37th Street BUSINESS ATTIRE REQUIRED Additional funding for this lecture has been generously provided by Julie and Bob Daum
Tartan Tales: Stories from Historic Scottish Houses
Photo: © Country Life
Curt DiCamillo | Historian & Author Monday, November 23, 6:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members Co-sponsors: The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA; American Friends of Attingham The Waterloo Gallery at Apsley House, London
Location: The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen Library, 20 West 44th Street
Additional funding for this lecture has been generously provided by The Stoddart Family
CALIFORNIA LA JOLLA/SAN DIEGO A Quiet Collector: John Jones and his Extraordinary Legacy Joanna Norman | Senior Curator, Tuesday, October 13, 6:45 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members This lecture is preceded by a reception at 6:15 p.m. Co-sponsors: FREEMAN’S; ICAA, Southern California Chapter; The ESU, San Diego Branch Location: La Jolla Woman’s Club, 7791 Draper Avenue 6 | PUBLIC LECTURES
Sèvres Cabaret Set, c. 1760
Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
V&A Museum of Design
LA JOLLA/SAN DIEGO
CALIFORNIA
The Housekeeper’s Tale: The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House Tessa Boase | Journalist & Author Thursday, November 19, 7:00 p.m. $35 members; $45 non-members Photo: © National Trust Images
This lecture is preceded by a reception at 6:30 p.m. Co-sponsors: Timken Museum of Art; ICAA, Southern California Chapter; The ESU, San Diego Branch; American Friends of Attingham Ellen Penketh, former housekeeper at Erddig, Wrexham, Wales
Location: Timken Museum of Art, 1500 El Prado, Balboa Park
LOS ANGELES
CALIFORNIA
Joanna Norman | Senior Curator, V&A Museum of Design Monday, October 12, 6:30 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members This lecture is preceded by a reception at 6:00 p.m. Co-sponsors: FREEMAN’S; ICAA, Southern California Chapter; The ESU, LA Branch Location: The UCLA Faculty Center, 480 Charles E. Young Drive East
Portrait of Madame de Pompadour, by François Boucher, 1758
Photo: ©National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel
The Housekeeper’s Tale: The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House Tessa Boase | Journalist & Author Monday, November 16, 7:00 p.m. Price TBA This lecture is preceded by a reception at 6:30 p.m. Co-sponsors: Beverly Hills Women’s Club; ICAA, Southern California Chapter; The ESU, LA Branch; American Friends of Attingham Detail of the brass servant’s bells at Erddig, Wrexham, Wales
Location: Beverly Hills Women’s Club, 1700 Chevy Chase Drive
PUBLIC LECTURES | 7
Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
A Quiet Collector: John Jones and his Extraordinary Legacy
CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO A Quiet Collector: John Jones and his Extraordinary Legacy Joanna Norman | Senior Curator, V&A Museum of Design Thursday, October 15, 7:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members This lecture is preceded by a reception at 6:30 p.m. Co-sponsors: Arader Galleries; San Francisco Fall Antiques Show; ICAA, SF Chapter; The ESU, SF Branch Location: Arader Galleries, 432 Jackson Street
Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
The Housekeeper’s Tale: The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House Tessa Boase | Journalist & Author Wednesday, November 18, 7:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members This lecture is preceded by a book-signing and reception at 6:30 p.m.
Table and music stand with Sèvres porcelain plaques and bronze mounts, c.1775
Co-sponsors: Arader Galleries; San Francisco Fall Antiques Show; ICAA, SF Chapter; The ESU, SF Branch; American Friends of Attingham Location: Arader Galleries, 432 Jackson Street
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WASHINGTON The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens’ London
This lecture is preceded by a reception at 6:30 p.m. Co-sponsors: The Victorian Society of America; Oxford University Society, DC Branch; Washington Decorative Arts Forum; American Friends of Attingham Location: The MAA Carriage House, 1781 Church Street NW 8 | PUBLIC LECTURES
A Peep at the Gas Lights in Pall Mall by Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827)
Photo: courtesy of Guildhall Library, City of London
Judith Flanders | Historian & Author Thursday, October 8, 7:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members
WASHINGTON
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Young Titan: The Making of Winston Churchill
This lecture is preceded by a reception at 6:30 p.m. No admission without photo ID. All names required by October 26th. Co-sponsors: The Churchill Centre; Oxford University Society, DC Branch; Washington Decorative Arts Forum Portrait of a young Winston Churchill
Location: Bank of America, 730 15th Street NW, 10th Floor Penthouse
ATLANTA
GEORGIA
Young Titan: The Making of Winston Churchill Dr. Michael Shelden | Biographer and Historian Tuesday, October 6, 6:30 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members This lecture is followed by a book-signing and reception. Co-sponsors: Holland & Company; ADAC; Spalding Nix Fine Art & Antiques; Culture Club; The Churchill Centre Location: Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, 351 Peachtree Hills Avenue, NE
CHICAGO
ILLINOIS
The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens’ London Judith Flanders | Historian & Author Wednesday, October 7, 6:30 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members This lecture is preceded by a reception at 6:00 p.m. Co-sponsors: Chicago Architecture Foundation; The Victorian Society of America Location: Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 South Michigan Avenue
Piccadilly Circus, London, c. 1890
PUBLIC LECTURES | 9
Photo: courtesy of Library of Congress
Photo: courtesy of the Library of Congress
Dr. Michael Shelden | Biographer and Historian Monday, November 2, 7:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members
ILLINOIS CHICAGO Photo: © Mary Evans Picture Library 2008
First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill Sonia Purnell | Best-Selling Author Friday, October 30, 6:30 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members This lecture is preceded by a book-signing and reception at 6:00 p.m. Co-sponsor: The Churchill Centre Winston Churchill, Clementine and son Randolph, 1933
Location: Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 South Michigan Avenue
A Family Legacy Restored: St. Giles House
This lecture is preceded by a cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m. and followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. R. Kirkwood Brodie III Co-sponsor: The English-Speaking Union, Chicago Branch Location: The Casino, 195 East Delaware Place FORMAL BUSINESS ATTIRE REQUIRED
St. Giles House, Dorset
Photo: courtesy of Shaftesbury Estate
Nicholas Ashley-Cooper | 12th Earl of Shaftesbury Wednesday, November 11, 6:30 p.m. Price TBA
Additional funding for this lecture has been generously provided by Mr. and Mrs. Harlow N. Higinbotham
MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON Photo: © Mary Evans Picture Library 2010
The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens’ London Judith Flanders | Historian & Author Wednesday, September 30, 6:00 p.m. $30 members & co-sponsors; $40 non-member guests This lecture is followed by a reception. Co-sponsors: Boston Athenaeum; Oxford & Cambridge Society of New England The pillory at Charing Cross, London, c. 1809
10 | PUBLIC LECTURES
Location: Boston Athenaeum, 101/2 Beacon Street
BOSTON
MASSACHUSETTS
Cabinets and Curiosities; Furniture in the National Trust’s Collections Lisa White | Furniture and Interiors Historian Thursday, October 22, 6:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members This lecture is followed by a reception sponsored by FREEMAN’S. Co-sponsors: FREEMAN’S; Oxford and Cambridge Society of New England Location: The College Club of Boston, 44 Commonwealth Avenue
Dr. Michael Shelden | Biographer and Historian Tuesday, November 3, 6:00 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members This lecture is followed by a reception sponsored by FREEMAN’S. Co-sponsors: NEHGS; FREEMAN’S; Oxford and Cambridge Society of New England The restored Pope’s Cabinet in the Cabinet Room at Stourhead, Wiltshire, c. 1585
Location: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 99-101 Newbury Street
PHILADELPHIA
PENNSYLVANIA
The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens’ London Judith Flanders | Historian & Author Thursday, October 1, 6:30 p.m.
Traitors or Tastemakers? Recusant Country Houses & Collections Dr. Tessa Murdoch | Deputy Keeper, Victoria & Albert Museum Wednesday, October 14, 6:30 p.m.
Cabinets and Curiosities; Furniture in the National Trust’s Collections Lisa White | Furniture and Interiors Historian Monday, October 19, 6:30 p.m. Book of Hours, c. 1500
PUBLIC LECTURES | 11
Photo: ©National Trust Images/Andra Nellin
Photo: ©National Trust Images/James Dobson
Young Titan: The Making of Winston Churchill
PENNSYLVANIA PHILADELPHIA First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill Sonia Purnell | Best-selling Author Monday, November 2, 6:30 p.m.
A Family Legacy Restored: St. Giles House Nicholas Ashley-Cooper | 12th Earl of Shaftesbury Monday, November 9, 6:30 p.m.
Charles Wellesley | 9th Duke of Wellington OBE DL Thursday, November 19, 6:30 p.m. For each lecture, there will be a cash bar reception at 6:00 p.m. Dinner reservations are non-refundable and must be made by the Wednesday before the lecture. Lecture only: $30 members; $40 non-members
Restoration work at St. Giles House, Dorset
Lecture and optional dinner: $75 members; $80 non-members Co-sponsors: The Abraham Lincoln Foundation of the Union League of Philadelphia; FREEMAN’S; ICAA, Philadelphia Chapter; The VSA; American Friends of the Attingham; The ESU, Philadelphia Branch; The Churchill Centre Location: The Union League of Philadelphia, 140 South Broad Street FORMAL BUSINESS ATTIRE REQUIRED Additional funding for these lectures has been generously provided by Martha Hamilton and I. Wistar Morris III, Diana J. Mackie, and an Anonymous Donor
Photo: © National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel
SOUTH CAROLINA CHARLESTON Young Titan: The Making of Winston Churchill Dr. Michael Shelden | Biographer and Historian Wednesday, October 7, 6:15 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members This lecture is followed by a reception and book-signing sponsored by FREEMAN’S. Co-sponsors: FREEMAN’S; The Preservation Society of Charleston ; College of Arms Foundation Winston Churchill’s desk in the study at Chartwell, Kent
12 | PUBLIC LECTURES
Location: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 43 Wentworth Street
Photo: courtesy of Shaftesbury Estate
The Battle of Waterloo and its Legacy
CHARLESTON
SOUTH CAROLINA
Photo: ©National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel
The Housekeeper’s Tale: The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House Tessa Boase | Journalist & Author Thursday, November 12, 6:30 p.m. $30 members; $40 non-members This lecture is followed by a reception and book-signing sponsored by FREEMAN’S. Co-sponsors: FREEMAN’S; The Preservation Society of Charleston; American Friends of Attingham Location: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 43 Wentworth Street China Closet in the Housekeeper’s passage at Tatton Park, Cheshire
Additional funding for these lectures has been generously provided by Dr. and Mrs. Daniel M. Ervin
SPECIAL HERITAGE CIRCLE-LEVEL MEMBER EVENT Sunset Cruise Aboard SeaCall | San Diego Friday, November 20 Join Royal Oak and historian Tessa Boase aboard the exquisite 119-foot mega yacht, SeaCall, for a beautiful sunset cruise around the San Diego harbor. Hosted by Heritage Circle members Steve Casey and Irene Grigoriadis, guests will spend the evening with Ms. Boase, discussing her research on the below stairs scandals of Britain’s most prominent country homes, while enjoying canapés and cocktails. Royal Oak’s Heritage Circle membership program was created for individuals who wish to provide leadership support for the Foundation on an annual basis. The membership offers special access throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland, complimentary admission to a select number of our celebrated Drue Heinz Lectures each season, priority registration and an invitation to dine with speakers in an intimate setting. Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Location: to be confirmed at time of reservation Charge: Complimentary for Heritage Circle Members only For more information about the Heritage Circle, please contact Chelcey Berryhill at cberryhill@royal-oak.org or 212-480-2889 ext. 212.
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MEMBERS ONLY TOURS Please note all tours are limited to 20 people and require walking, standing and possible stair-climbing. Tours are open to Royal Oak members only. To become a member, or to upgrade your membership call: 212-480-2889, ext. 205.
EXHIBITION TOUR Alice: 150 Years of Wonderland | New York City Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was first told to Alice Liddell by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, known by his penname Lewis Carroll. Enchanted by a fantastical world of nonsense, Alice requested a written copy of her namesake’s adventures. Commemorating the 150th anniversary of its publication, The Morgan Library and Museum launched Alice: 150 Years of Wonderland, which tells the genesis of “Off with her head!,” John Tenniel, the story—with iconic illustrations by John Tenniel—and 1885 its extraordinary reception worldwide. Assistant Curator of Literary & Historical Manuscripts, Carolyn Vega will offer a tour of this exhibition, which includes the original manuscript, on loan from the British Library, original correspondence, unique drawings, and hand-colored proofs. Location: The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue Time: 10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Charge: $40 members; $50 non-member guests
PRIVATE TOUR Beekman Place: A Secluded Enclave | New York City Wednesday, October 14 Beekman Place is a tree-lined secluded enclave in bustling midtown Manhattan. Gaining a reputation of exclusivity in the 1920s, it has since been home to members of the Rockefeller clan and entertainment-industry luminaries Ethel Barrymore and Irving Berlin. Architectural historian Francis Morrone will lead us on a walking tour of Beekman Place, including three of its beautiful landmarked features. After, Royal Oak members Mr. Albert Messina and Mr. Ken Dining room with Zuber wallpaper Jennings will host a wine reception at their city maisonette. Both are collectors who have filled their pied à terre with eclectic decorative arts including furniture, porcelains, and tableware. Walls are covered by English prints, 19th-century French and English paintings, and a Zuber wallpaper panel. Location: meet at NW corner of First Avenue and 49th Street Time: 4:15 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Charge: $75 supporting-level members only 14 | TOURS
Photo: © Steven H. Crossot, 2014
Friday, October 2
MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Following a successful tour in Scotland, Scottish trio Vocali3e will perform works by British composers such as André Previn, and songs in the Scots tongue by Thea Musgrave and Joseph Haydn. It will feature A Lassie’s Love, a new song cycle by composer Jennifer Margaret Barker. This piece, in association with Creative Scotland and the Jean Armour Burns Trust, is set to the poetry of famous Scottish bard, Robert Burns (1759-1796). Ms. Acclaimed Scottish Trio, Barker will introduce and discuss the composition and Vocali3e at Drum Castle its influences. The four poems, while not originally linked to one another, have been beautifully woven together by the composer. Join Royal Oak for a wonderful evening of music followed by a wine reception. New York: The Explorers Club, 46 East 70th Street Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Additional funding has been generously provided by Mr. Robert Steiner in honor of Dr. Taube Greenspan
Philadelphia: The Union League of Philadelphia, 140 South Broad Street Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. For each performance: $50 members; $60 members’ guests
PRIVATE PASSIONS A Gold Coast Masterpiece | Chicago
Photo: courtesy of Liederbach and Graham, Architects
Thursday, October 29 Royal Oak member Nancy Traylor describes her elegant Chicago apartment—that she designed with friend and architect Phillip J. Liederbach—as a labor of love. With 13ft ceilings, pine paneling, and beautiful archways, the library features paintings of animals and hunting scenes. Her high-style home has European treasures collected on trips with her husband, Glen. Mrs. Traylor, an interior designer for over 35 years, reveals that the family room— with its intricately carved Irish side table and 17th-century tapestry—is her favorite refuge. She is “crazy about bronzes Library view from home of and wood carvings” and dots her stunning interiors with Mr. and Mrs. Glen Traylor pieces bought at auction. “I am a big auction person,” this passionate collector admits, “But I don’t buy something because it is rare or valuable, I buy it because I love it.” Join Royal Oak as the homeowners open this beautiful space for a private tour and reception. Location: to be given at time of registration Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Charge: $75 supporting-level members only TOURS | 15
Photo: courtesy of Vocali3e
A Lassie’s Love: Music and the Poetry of Robert Burns New York City | Thursday, October 22 Philadelphia | Friday, October 23
PRIVATE PASSIONS An Upper East Side Gem | New York City Friday, November 6 Kazie and John Harvey share a passion for English antiques she attributes to their heritage, explaining “Both of us have English ancestry.” Mr. and Mrs. Harvey’s home boasts English and French decorative arts, highlighting their interest in both countries. They are also involved with several Anglo and Franco philanthropic causes such as St. George’s Society, St. Paul’s Cathedral Foundation, and French Heritage Society. Their dining room features a 19th-century French gilded over-mantel mirror with original mercury glass, while the living room has an early 18th-century portrait of the Countess of Bristol by Charles Jervis, and a depiction of the 1799 Napoleonic Battle of the Nile by Nicholas Pocock. One of their favorite pieces is the extraordinary set of seven prints depicting the funeral procession of Elizabeth I. While the 1603 original is at the British Museum, these rare hand-colored copies were published in 1791. Mrs. Harvey admits she couldn’t resist them as “they are such fun and have such an incredible history!” Join Royal Oak and the homeowners for a special reception and tour of this Upper East Side gem. Location: To be given at time of registration Time: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Charge: $90 supporting-level members only
PRIVATE TOUR The Salmagundi Club: A Center of American Art | New York City Founded in 1871, The Salmagundi Club of New York is one of the oldest arts clubs in the country and was a gathering place for American artists such as William Merritt Chase, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Childe Hassam. Today, the Club owns over 1,500 works of art spanning its 144 year history. Built in 1853, the clubhouse is an outstanding example of the early Italianate style featuring original carved marble chimney pieces, rosewood doors, and an arcaded Corinthian screen. Upon its purchase, the Club immediately extended the building to include two large galleries in which to showcase members’ work. Join us for a private tour of this stunning Club with Lisa Easton of Easton Architects who was responsible for the 2013 renovation of the galleries. Ms. Easton will discuss her role in the renovation and the struggles of working with historic interiors. Location: The Salmagundi Club of New York, 47 Fifth Avenue Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Charge: $50 supporting-level members only
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The interior of the Salmagundi Club
Photo: © Jeffrey Kilmer
Thursday, November 12
PRIVATE TOUR The Explorers Club | New York City
Photo: © David Wolsky, for The Explorers Club
Friday, November 20 Founded in 1904, The Explorers Club promotes the exploration of land, sea, air, and space. Club members have been responsible for an illustrious series of famous firsts: first to reach the North Pole; the summit of Mount Everest; the surface of the moon. Some of the 202 mini flags carried on these expeditions are displayed at the Club’s headquarters, a 1910 Jacobean revival townhouse. Join Director, William Roseman for a look at the Club and its remarkable members. We will see the flag carried to the Gobi desert by Roy The Trophy Room at The Explorers Club Chapman Andrews, and even a piece from the Wright brothers’ plane! The Club is a treasure trove of objects including lion-skin shields from the Samburu tribe; elephant and narwhal tusks; and field journals from renowned expeditions, including Napoleon Bonaparte’s 22 volumes from his Nile Campaign. Location: The Explorers Club, 46 East 70th Street Time: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Charge: $50 supporting-level members only
PRIVATE RECEPTION Celebrating the Season | New York City Thursday, December 3 We first visited the beautifully decorated home of Royal Oak member Benjamin Bradley in 2011 and it has quickly become a favorite holiday tradition! We are thrilled to return to this winter wonderland of antique ornaments and beautifully handcrafted decorations he collected over the years. Mr. Bradley revealed to us, “Christmas collectibles are fascinating and represent not only my personal likes and interests but that of the country and the world...” Combining his creativity with his love of Christmas, he even makes his own ornaments using vintage Christmas cards that he painstakingly cuts to combine with Dresden gilded trim and other materials. These one-of-a-kind handcrafted ornaments are available through his cleverly named site: Ebenezer & Company. Mr. Bradley has a passion for Christmas that is contagious and we can’t wait to see what will be on display this year!
Antique German Santas on the mantle
Location: To be given at time of registration Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Charge: $75 members only
TOURS | 17
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS & THEIR LECTURES NICHOLAS ASHLEY-COOPER, 12TH EARL OF SHAFTESBURY Nicholas Ashley-Cooper graduated from the London Business School. He has worked as the CEO of a music software company, and in business development and digital strategy. He is an extreme athlete, running marathons to support people with disabilities— including races across the Sahara, Atacama and Gobi deserts. Lord Shaftsbury succeeded his older brother Anthony, the 11th Earl, who died of a heart attack in May 2005. Following his brother’s death, Lord Shaftesbury relocated to the UK and set out to restore St. Giles House. He is the first Shaftesbury in 50 years to live in the house, alongside his wife and three children.
A Family Legacy Restored: St. Giles House St. Giles House, Dorset has been home to the Earls of Shaftesbury since the 13th century. Sir Anthony Ashley-Cooper, founder of the Whig party, became the first Earl in 1672 and was Chancellor of the Exchequer to Charles II. He laid the first stone of St. Giles House in 1650 and successive generations have made renovations, including a “modernization” by the 4th Countess that resulted in one of the greatest collections of 18th-century English furniture. Sadly, following World War II the house fell into disrepair and the family relocated, selling the majority of its possessions. It remained shuttered for 30 years, coming dangerously close to collapse. On becoming the 12th Earl of Shaftesbury, Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, inspired by his ancestors, embarked on a four-year restoration project to make St. Giles House a family home once again. Lord Shaftesbury will speak about this incredible project which won, among others, the 2014 Georgian Group Award, for the Restoration of a Georgian Country House.
TESSA BOASE Journalist and author Tessa Boase read English at Lincoln College, Oxford University. She has worked as a voiceover artist and a commissioning editor for The Daily, Sunday Telegraph and The Daily Mail. She has been a judge on the Thomas Cook Travel Book award and the Guild of Food Writers Critic of the Year award. Her book The Housekeeper’s Tale: The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House was published in Fall 2015 by Aurum Press.
The Housekeeper’s Tale: The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House Working as a housekeeper was a most prestigious job for a 19th -and early-20th century woman—but also one of the toughest. A far cry from fictional Downton Abbey, the real Mrs. Hughes faced capricious mistresses, poor wages, and grueling physical labor. The housekeeper of a country house might manage 100 servants and a budget on par with a small bank, and she was trusted with the family’s most intimate secrets. Delving into secret diaries, unpublished letters and neglected service archives, historian Tessa Boase reconstructs the lives of six women in gripping detail, from the 1830s to present day. She will illustrate the personal sacrifices and ambition that shaped their lives; also the scandals that brought their careers to an end (an unwanted pregnancy, a forbidden love affair and a prison sentence!). Ms. Boase’s heroines include the Victorian housekeeper, Sarah Wells at Uppark, and Edwardian beauty Ellen Penketh at Erddig.
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CURT DICAMILLO Curt DiCamillo is an architectural historian and authority on the British country house. He has taught classes in Boston at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) and the School of the MFA. Mr. DiCamillo leads tours on the architectural and artistic heritage of Britain. Since 1999 he has maintained an award-winning website, The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses (DiCamilloCompanion. com), which seeks to document every country house, standing or demolished. In recognition of his work, he has been presented to the late Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother and The Prince of Wales. He is a member of The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and is an alumnus of the Royal Collection Studies program and The Attingham Summer School. From 2004 to 2012 he served as Executive Director of The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA (he currently serves as Executive Director Emeritus).
Tartan Tales: Stories from Historic Scottish Houses From the Roman Emperor Diocletian’s palace in Croatia to Culzean Castle, a masterpiece by Robert Adam, historian Curt DiCamillo will offer an exploration of Scottish history using architecture and great houses as his guide. Some tales are about eccentric owners, like the 3rd Marquess of Bute, who built Mount Stuart, a 19th-century Gothic revival masterpiece on a remote Scottish island, while other stories highlight houses still in private hands, including Glamis Castle, the ancestral home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and Drumlanrig Castle, owned by the Duke of Buccleuch and home to the only Leonardo Da Vinci painting in private hands. With appearances by Dwight Eisenhower, Rudolf Hess, Macbeth, and the Roman Pantheon, this fascinating lecture will paint a rich story of Scotland. Kidnappings, bloody battles, and cannibalism—these, together with glittering silver, timeless portraits, and some of the world’s finest Chippendale furniture, all play parts in this fast-paced and unique compilation of Scottish history.
JUDITH FLANDERS Judith Flanders is a New York Times bestselling author and historian. The Victorian House: Domestic Life from Childbirth to Deathbed (2003) was nominated for the British Book Awards History Book of the Year, and The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens’ London was on the shortlist for the LA Times History Book of the Year. She is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Buckingham. She has recently started a second writing career, and her second crime novel, A Bed of Scorpions will appear in the spring of 2016.
The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens’ London The 19th century was a time of unprecedented transformation, and nowhere was this more apparent than on the streets of London. In only a few decades, London grew from a Regency town to the biggest city the world had ever seen, with more than 6.5 million people, railways, street-lighting and new buildings at every turn. In The Victorian City, historian Judith Flanders explores London’s outdoors in an extraordinary, revelatory portrait of everyday life on the streets. From the moment Charles Dickens, the century’s best-loved novelist and London’s greatest observer, arrived in the city in 1822, he obsessively walked its streets recording its pleasures, curiosities and cruelties. Through his writings, we are led through the markets, transport systems, sewers, rivers, slums, alleys, cemeteries, gin palaces, chop-houses and entertainment emporia to reveal the Victorian capital in all its variety, vibrancy, and squalor.
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DR. TESSA MURDOCH Dr. Tessa Murdoch is Deputy Keeper in Department of Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Previously, she worked at the Museum of London. She was awarded the 2002 Getty Curatorial Grant for research on 18th century English giltwood furniture. Dr. Murdoch has written and edited several books and articles for noted publications. Her most recent work is Going for Gold: Craftsmanship and Collecting of Gold Boxes (Sussex Academic Press, 2014). Following a Curatorial Research Fellowship at the Yale Center for British Art, Dr. Murdoch’s lecture will reveal new research on Secret Catholicism in the British Isles, which forms part of a joint project with Alexandra Walsham of Trinity College, Cambridge.
Traitors or Tastemakers? Recusant Country Houses & Collections The English Reformation began in 1534 with The Act of Supremacy in which King Henry VIII declared himself ‘the only supreme head on earth of the Church in England.’ Any display of allegiance to Rome and the Catholic pope was deemed treasonous and had deadly consequences. Indeed it was under this act that Thomas More and Lady Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury were executed. During the 16th-18th centuries, those who refused to attend Anglican services were known as recusants and were subject to new taxes, fines, and land seizures. Dr. Tessa Murdoch will reveal that despite religious and political obstacles, recusants made great artistic contributions through patronage of art, music, and architecture. Her lecture will feature portraits, chapel furnishings, and furniture, plus Grand Tour collections that reflect the English recusant travel to 18th-century Catholic European cities. Treasures from important National Trust houses such as Coughton Court and Oxburgh Hall—still in private family ownership—will be featured.
JOANNA NORMAN Joanna Norman is a Senior Curator in the Research Department at the Victoria & Albert Museum. She is also Lead Curator for the V&A Museum of Design Dundee, due to open in 2018. Ms. Norman studied at the University of Cambridge and has an M.A. in Cultural and Intellectual History from the Warburg Institute. She worked at the British Museum and joined the V&A in 2005, co-curating the 2009 exhibition Baroque: Style in the Age of Magnificence 1620-1800. She later worked at the Royal Academy of Arts and co-curated Treasures from Budapest: European Masterpieces from Leonardo to Schiele (2010). She returned to the V&A in 2011 and has been working on the reinterpretation of the Museum’s collection of 17th- and 18th-century European art and design.
A Quiet Collector: John Jones and his Extraordinary Legacy In 1882, over 2,000 pieces of French art was unexpectedly left to the Victoria & Albert Museum. Its donor, John Jones, was unusual—he was not among the aristocratic collectors such as the Marquesses of Hertford, nor was he among those who built monumental residences to showcase their treasures, like the Rothschilds. Rather, he was a private man who made his fortune as a military tailor then spent the last two decades of his life amassing an impressive collection of 18th-century French art. In 1865, he acquired 95 Piccadilly Road and filled it ‘from basement to attic,’ even sleeping on a camp-bed next to a Rococo commode! Jones’s collection—which was little known until his death—elicited much criticism. Today, however, the bequest forms the nucleus of the V&A’s 17th- and 18th-century European art and design. Curator Joanna Norman will explore this fascinating figure and how he displayed and acquired his objects. She will also illustrate the V&A’s newly opened Europe 1600-1800 galleries which feature objects made by Europe’s finest artists and craftsmen.
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SONIA PURNELL Sonia Purnell is a political reporter who began her career at The Economist in the Intelligence Unit before working on a weekly financial magazine. She has since worked for a number of newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph, Independent on Sunday and the London Evening Standard. She also served as Whitehall Editor at the Daily Mail. While working for the Telegraph’s Brussels bureau in the 1990s, Sonia worked closely with Boris Johnson, later Mayor of London and the subject of her acclaimed biography, Just Boris (2011). Her new book, First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill will be published in October 2015 by Viking.
First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill Without Winston Churchill’s inspiring leadership, Britain would not have survived its darkest hour against the Nazi menace. Without his wife Clementine, however, he might never have become Prime Minister. Not only was Clementine Winston’s emotional rock and most trusted confidante, she was involved in crucial decisions of war and exerted influence over him and the government that would seem scandalous to modern eyes. Her charm and humanitarian efforts earned her deep respect from the public and behind closed doors at Whitehall. However, Clementine’s childhood was far from gilded. Born into impoverished aristocracy, her mother was a known adulteress and gambler, and by the time Clementine entered society she was the target of cruel snobbery. In Winston, she found a partner, and in his career she found her mission as Britain’s ‘First Lady.’ Ms. Purnell explores the peculiar dynamics of this fascinating marriage based on her book First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill. From personal and political upheavals, through the Churchill’s’ ‘wilderness years’ in the 1930s, to Clementine’s efforts during World War II, Ms. Purnell presents the inspiring but often ignored story of one of the most important women in modern history.
DR. MICHAEL SHELDEN Professor Michael Shelden of Indiana State University is the author of five biographies, including Pulitzer Prize Finalist Orwell: The Authorized Biography, which was also a New York Times Notable Book. His study of Mark Twain’s final years, Man in White, was chosen as one of the best books of 2010 by the Christian Science Monitor and the Library Journal. For 15 years, he was a features writer for the London Daily Telegraph, and he spent a decade as fiction critic for the Baltimore Sun. His most recent book Young Titan: The Making of Winston Churchill was published in 2013 by Simon & Schuster. Translation rights have been sold in four languages, and the film rights were bought by Carnival Films, the producers of Downton Abbey.
Young Titan: The Making of Winston Churchill In modern memory, Winston Churchill often remains the man with the cigar, the great war-time orator, and the figure seen among bombed out ruins. Few can remember that at the age of 40 he was considered washed up, his best days behind him. However Churchill didn’t stumble into his later greatness. In a conscious and methodical way, he set out as a young man to become the hero that he believed his era of “great events” demanded. Author and historian Michael Shelden will talk about Churchill’s early life and career between 1901 and 1915, a time of intrigue, personal courage and grave miscalculations that both nearly undid him but also forged his character and led him to triumph during the WWII. He will also present a portrait of Churchill as the dashing young suitor who pursued three great beauties of British society with his witty repartee, political flair and poetic letters. This lecture will illustrate how Churchill’s success and political greatness was predicated on his formative years and his struggles to redeem the promise of his youth. ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS & THEIR LECTURES | 21
ARTHUR CHARLES VALERIAN WELLESLEY, 9TH DUKE OF WELLINGTON The Duke of Wellington was born in 1945 and read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford University. The Duke was a Member of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1989. Since then he has been Chairman or Deputy Chairman of a number of companies. He served as a member of the Council of the Royal College of Art (1992-1997) and a Commissioner for English Heritage (2003- 2007). He has been Chairman of the Council of King’s College since 2007. In October 2014, the Duke published a history of the first Duke of Wellington entitled Wellington Portrayed, featuring over 300 paintings and busts by over 100 artists. The Duke succeeded his father on 31 December 2014 as the 9th Duke of Wellington. He lives at Apsley House in London, and at Stratfield Saye, Hampshire. He is married with five children and five grandchildren.
The Battle of Waterloo and its Legacy June 18, 2015 marked the bicentennial of The Battle of Waterloo, a battle that would change the order and political structure of Europe. Its main legacy was a more stable continent, which only came to an end in 1914 with the outbreak of the Great War. After the Battle, the Duke of Wellington spent three years in France commanding an army of occupation while great efforts were made to find him a suitable country estate to be purchased with funds voted by Parliament. Many important houses were rejected—Houghton, Uppark, Luton Hoo, Bramshill—but finally Benjamin Dean Wyatt, acting for the Duke, found Stratfield Saye, Hampshire. The intention was to demolish the existing house and build Waterloo Palace but the project was never realized. Instead, the first Duke lived for the rest of his life in London at Apsley House and at Stratfield Saye. In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Waterloo, the 9th Duke, his great-great-great-grandson, who still lives in these houses, will discuss the battle and this unusual legacy.
LISA WHITE, MA FRSA FSA Lisa White is Chairman of the National Trust’s Arts Advisory Panel and Editor of the Furniture History Society Journal. From 2004 to 2011 she directed the Attingham Summer School. She read Modern History at Oxford and then trained and worked as a curator at the Victoria & Albert Museum. From 1985 to 1999 she taught at the University of Bristol, and continues to lecture for University of Bath, University of Buckingham and other organizations. From 1999 to 2006 she was Curator of Decorative Art at the Holburne Museum of Art, Bath. In 1990 she published a major reference work, The Pictorial Dictionary of Eighteenth Century British Furniture Design.
Cabinets and Curiosities: Furniture in the National Trust’s Collections With the generous support of Royal Oak, The National Trust embarked on an ambitious project to catalogue and research the vast collection of furniture at many of its properties. Art historian Lisa White will explore some of the wonderful, difficult, and often puzzling objects from this significant collection—from magnificent cabinets at Ham House and Stourhead, to gilded mirrors and tables at Petworth House; and even more ordinary items such as the Pedlar’s chest from Chastleton. What is the earliest piece of furniture? Which items belonged to famous royals? Do we know all the materials and techniques used to make these objects? And which present the greatest conservation challenges for the Trust? These are just some of the questions Ms. White will consider during her lavishly illustrated lecture.
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REGISTRATION INFORMATION No Tickets Will Be Issued Advanced Registration Required For All Events Advance Registration, Seating, and Dress Code You must register in advance for all Royal Oak programs, including those that are free. We will not hold registration without payment or credit card—there are no tickets—and your name will be on our guest list at the door when you check in. Your guests will be listed under your last name. We cannot guarantee seating for late arrivals. There is a dress code at many of our lecture venues, some require formal business attire. Shorts, jeans, sneakers, and tee shirts are not acceptable in any weather. Incorrect attire may result in your being turned away at the door by the venue staff. Royal Oak is not responsible for venue dress code policies.
Fees & Refunds The members’ price applies to members and co-sponsoring members only and does not apply to guests who are non-members. You must indicate your co-sponsoring affiliation when registering to receive the member price. No refunds will be made once you have registered for a lecture or program. After 21 days, no refunds are available for upper level programs—no exceptions. Reservations for upper-level tours and programs are non-transferable.
How To Register Online: www.royal-oak.org/lectures By Telephone: Please call Robert Dennis at 212-480-2889, ext. 201. By Mail: A PDF of the registration form is available to view and print on our website: www.royal-oak.org/lectures. Complete the Registration Form, enclose payment by check or credit card and return to The Royal Oak Foundation.
Program Staff Jennie McCahey, Program Director, ext. 204. jmccahey@royal-oak.org Kristin Sarli, Assistant Program Director, ext. 215. ksarli@royal-oak.org Robert Dennis, Program Assistant, ext. 201. rdennis@royal-oak.org All programs are subject to change or cancellation; visit our website for program updates.
The Royal Oak Foundation 20 West 44th Street, Suite 606, New York, NY 10036 www.royal-oak.org REGISTRATION INFORMATION | 23
FALL PROGRAMS 2015
THE ROYAL OAK FOUNDATION 20 W 44th Street Suite 606 New York, New York 10036-6603