The Shell Guides: a short history
Introduction In 1933 John Betjeman, who was then working for Architectural Review magazine, came up with the idea for a series of county guides. He conceived the guides as an…
Orleans House and The Octagon – [Local History Notes: 1]
The riverside residence at Twickenham which was to become known as Orleans House was built in 1710 for James Johnston (1643?-1737) by John James, one of Wren’s chief assistants. (James…
Skira, Phaidon and Thames & Hudson: 3 Art Publishers
In Richmond upon Thames Libraries we hold a wide range of books on the history of art, design and architecture. Amongst the collection there are older books held in the…
Artists at war: Dame Laura Knight
Introduction During her lifetime Dame Laura Knight was one of the most successful and popular British artists. She was a household name but, after her death in 1970, she slowly…
Pevsner: the Man and His Eponymous Architectural Guides
Nikolaus Pevsner was an academic and writer. He was born in Leipzig in 1902 to Russian-Jewish parents who had moved to Germany at some point before 1900. His parents took German…
Artists at War: Eric Ravilious
On the 75th anniversary of his death we take a look at Eric Ravilious's work as a war artist. Eric Ravilious* was born in Acton in 1908 and the family later…
Artists at War: Stanley Spencer and the Second World War
In Artists at War: Paul Nash and the First World War, we looked at the role of official war artists and in particular the work of Paul Nash. In this…
The Eiffel Tower: a quick tour
The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous and most visited landmarks in the world. It opened on 31 March 1889, 128 years ago today. History and background It was…
Leigh’s ‘Panorama of the Thames’
This magnificent panorama was published by Samuel Leigh in 1829, titled ‘The Panorama of the Thames from London to Richmond, Exhibiting every Object on both Banks of the River, with…
Artists at War: Paul Nash and the First World War
When war was declared on 4 August 1914 many artists - the profession was then still predominantly male - began to enlist. The Royal Army Medical Corp (RAMC), which provided…