June 2026
Monday 8th June: Van Dyck and the court of Charles 1
This lecture opens with Van Dyck’s work in the princely courts of Europe and then moves to the brilliant court of Charles I and his portraits of court members. Lecturer: Duncan Ferguson Duncan has had a career in teaching beginning in Devon and ending his career after 25 years in Staffordshire schools. He volunteers…
July 2026
The Secret Passages of Staffordshire
Staffordshire has many secret passages running under the landscape. These tunnels connect castles, monasteries, pubs, churches and manor houses. This lecture outlines the reasons for their existence. Lecturer: James Wright.james is an award-winning buildings archaeologist. He has two decades professional experience of ferreting around in people’s cellars, hunting through their attics and digging up their…
September 2026
Carried on Galleons, Borne by Winds
Coveted by princely collectors, precious artefacts from China adorned palaces across Europe. By the mid-18thcentury the popularity of these luxury arts from China inspired a passion for chinoiserie: the imaginative recreation of a vision of Cathay in porcelain, silver, furniture and architecture. This lecture shows how these desirable luxury goods were traded from China to Europe. Lecturer: Anne Howarth.…
October 2026
Alchemy and Adventure
Colour may be taken for granted these days but it was not always so. Merchants provided tapis rock, cochineal grano and alchemists prepared deadly concoctions. Paint recipes were closely guarded; this lecture takes us on a journey to find and experience colour. Lecturer: Lynne Gibson. Lynne is a freelance lecturer in the History of Art as well as in…
November 2026
Undersea Art beneath the Waves
Explore the mysteries of the ocean featuring sirens, mermaids and the African Mama Wota together with sea creatures real and imaginary from across the world. Artists considered are Edward Burne-Jones, John Tenneil and Marc Chagall. Lecturer: James Russell. James is an art historian and exhibition curator. Major exhibitions include Ravilious (2015), Edward Bawden (2018) and Tirzah Garwood: Beyond Ravilious (2024), all at Dulwich Picture Gallery. For Hastings…
January 2027
The Camel in Art
Criticised as bad tempered and smelly or a horse designed by a committee, the camel has had a bad press. This presentation shows the camel in a new light across the centuries and around the globe. Lecturer: Eamonn Gearon. Author, Arabist, and analyst, Eamonn Gearon has spent a lifetime working and travelling in the Greater…
February 2027
McDonald Gill: Architect, Artist and Mapmaker
McDonald Gill was an architect, graphic designer and best known for his pictorial maps. Work included maps for Lindisfarne Castle, Cunard liners and the Empire Marketing Board. He also created the lettering used by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Lecturer: Caroline Walker.
March 2027
The Art of the Automobile
From the earliest utilitarian vehicles, car design has developed rapidly. By the mid-1920s there was a golden age of automobile design. A new generation of stylish cars were influenced by the art deco movement and the” Great Gatsby era” included some of the most famous and fabulous cars ever built. Lecturer: Roger Medham.
April 2027
The Brilliance of Brunel: The Man who built the Modern World
Introducing the man who changed the face of the British landscape with ground breaking railways, bridges and tunnels. The lecture introduces the man, his background and his legacy Lecturer: Ian Swankie. Ian isan accredited lecturer for The Arts Society, a fully qualified City of London tour guide, a City of Westminster guide and a green badge holder from the Institute of…
May 2027
“When David Heard”: the Death of Prince Henry
Prince Henry, heir to James I was potentially a brilliant monarch but an unwise dip in the Thames caused his death. This lecture includes a survey of his life and the musical grief that poured from the musicians of his day. Lecturer: Patrick Craig. Patrick is a Vicar Choral at St Paul’s Cathedral. For twenty years he combined this with an international…
June 2027
The Sculptures of Elizabeth Frink
Frink was probably the most popular sculptors of the twentieth century , creating birds, horses and men. The studies of men are the most startling, she saw them both as heroes and villains expressed as fallen angels. Greek warriors or a Dying King. Lecturer: Raymond Warburton. Raymond has had a life-long love of art although studied social sciences at the London School of…
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