Hogarth vs Everyone
William Hogarth has been described as the father of English painting but over the course of his career he came into conflict with many people.
Alexander Pope and His Villa
More images were created of the exterior of Alexander Pope’s Thameside villa than of any other private residence in the eighteenth century. After his death, his home and garden attracted so many visitors that a later owner razed the villa to the ground in order to preserve her privacy.
A ‘conspiracy of silence’ – William Morris, his wife and her lovers
Discover why William Morris took out a joint tenancy on his Kelmscott Manor country home with the Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti when he knew how fond Rossetti was of his wife. Learn about the ensuing ménage à trois at Kelsmcott.
Chapels, charity, controversy and loss
This talk will look at the life of Archibald Campbell, Bishop of London, and his family, including his daughter, Lucy Tait, who went on to have a close relationship with Mary Benson, the wife of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Royal Kitchens at Kew
In 1818, when Queen Charlotte died at Kew Palace, the Clerk of the Royal Kitchens locked the doors and never came back. The spaces were used as residences and storage for the next two centuries until Historic Royal Palaces completed a restoration project in 2011.