THE ATTINGHAM TRUST for the study of HISTORIC houses and collections ISSUE 17 ANNUAL REVIEW 2019 Chairman’s Foreword Sir John Lewis he courses run by The Attingham Trust this Wees from the Metropolitan Museum (see AFA report Tyear attracted, as always, a wide range of below). Many of us already know her well and we feel specialists from across the world stimulating debate extremely fortunate that such an able person is ready and discussion. Keeping open such channels of to take up the reins. We look forward to working with communication is increasingly important and makes her in the future. the purpose of Attingham evermore vital and relevant. We could not operate of course without the generous support of our donors and the loyalty and dedication On behalf of The of our staff on both sides of the Atlantic. To this end Attingham Trust, the our heartfelt thanks go to Sheila ffolliott, who has trustees, officers and decided to step down as President of the American council members would Friends, a post she has held for the last five years. She like to congratulate has given so much of her time to this leadership role, John Lewis on his which she has approached with characteristic flair, knighthood for services enthusiasm and determination, spreading the word to the Arts and to about Attingham in America and Europe as well as in John and Suzy Lewis at Philanthropy, awarded fundraising for scholarships. We greatly appreciate Buckingham Palace, February in the 2019 New Year’s her efforts on all fronts and will miss her. At the same 2019 Honours list. time, we warmly welcome to the position Beth Carver American Friends of Attingham Sheila ffolliott • AFA President 019 found the American Friends of Attingham busy century houses and terrific “Southern Hospitality.” 2with our usual round of activities, starting out with our January Midwinter Reunion, once again held in As I write this, we’re preparing for our Fall Benefit conjunction with the Winter Antiques Show at the Park Lecture, to be delivered by Tim Knox, Director of the Avenue Armory. Among the guests filling the room was Royal Collection Trust. As always, we appreciate the Rebecca Lyons, Director of Royal Collection Studies, many American Friends who support the Lecture who was in New York for research. The next day AFA and contribute to our Annual Appeal. We gratefully Secretary and incoming President, Beth Carver Wees, received the largest single gift to our endowment ’81, RCS ’04, Wriston Curator of American Decorative in our history made in memory of David Reese ’83. Arts, provided a tour of the stunning exhibition at the Providing valuable scholarship assistance for years Metropolitan Museum that she helped curate, Jewelry: to come, the gift acknowledges David’s appreciation The Body Transformed. Another AFA Board Member, for the scholarship he received to attend the Summer Jason Busch, hosted a tour at the American Folk Art School. Museum, which he now directs. Spring saw a group travel to Thomasville, Georgia for our annual Study Trip, It has been a real pleasure and privilege to serve as organized by Whitney White ’16, SP ’18. Because of its President of the American Friends of Attingham for climate and long-leaf pine forests, Thomasville was a the past five years. I have taken particular pride in favorite winter resort with perfect quail habitat. As a watching our alumni land new jobs or promotions, result, many northerners built plantations devoted to produce significant publications and exhibitions, and shooting. We were treated to some amazing early 20th support preservation and education efforts. 1 COMMENTARY Jennifer Scott with Attingham alumni Quentin Buvelot (Mauritshuis) and Rupert Goulding and David Taylor (National Trust) to devise a three- venue touring exhibition, Prized Possessions: Dutch Masterpieces from National Trust Houses (The Holburne Museum, The Mauritshuis and Petworth, 2018- 19). When scheduling Tapestry Here and Now (Holburne Museum, 2017) I had confidence in my knowledge of textiles from Annabel Westman’s teaching. When I work with colleagues today at Dulwich Picture Gallery to create a welcoming visitor experience, I think of the summer school Jennifer Scott (right) and Zoë Skelding at the final party on the Attingham Summer discussions comparing venues School, 2011 from Chatsworth to Cronkhill. And in devising the exhibition he photographs from my Bess of Hardwick. I noted how Rembrandt’s Light (Dulwich Picture TAttingham Summer School this Elizabethan powerhouse Gallery, 4 October 2019 – 2 Feb experience of July 2011 are ‘…made effective use of her 2020), I took inspiration from Lisa joyful. Each one captures smiling time, spending it in building her White’s lecture on the evocative compatriots enjoying the chance legacy, stamping her identity possibilities of light. to share, listen, see, laugh and onto the properties she created.’ learn together. The group was I went on in the report to ponder As you can imagine, I don’t have richly varied, including an architect whether this formidable woman of to look far to keep the Attingham specialising in restoring British innovation and action would have spirit alive at Dulwich; the Gallery’s architecture in North India (who disapproved of a group of mature first Director, and former director was experiencing her first visit to students who seemingly spent of Royal Collection Studies, Giles the UK); lecturers from Harvard and more time contemplating than Waterfield (1949-2016) had a Zagreb universities; a financial- doing. But I reassured myself that lasting influence on the world’s expert-turned-collector; a writer of these three weeks out from our first purpose-built public art gallery. American history; a curator from busy lives were essential in order We honour Giles’ memory each the Czech Republic; a furniture to think clearly, to gain insight year with the Giles Waterfield conservator from Virginia; and the from other people’s expertise and Memorial Lecture by inviting curator of Dr Johnson’s House. experiences, and to comprehend star speakers to present topics I was, at the time, Curator of art and its context in an entirely that we think he would have Paintings at Royal Collection Trust, new way. I concluded: “The doing, enjoyed. This year, on 6 and had assumed that I knew what well, that is what follows.” November, we are hosting the to expect, since I was a regular inimitable Rebecca Lyons (Director contributor to Royal Collection And how it has followed! There of Royal Collection Studies) Studies. But I discovered that is no doubt in my mind that on George IV and his Picture participating in, rather than Attingham changed me. I carry Collecting – an opportunity to teaching on, an Attingham course with me the ideas it forged, not reignite that Attingham spark. is an entirely distinct experience, only in the friendships (so much and one that stays with you better than “contacts”) that were Jennifer Scott has been Director for life. made, but also in my approach to of Dulwich Picture Gallery since my work, which centres on drawing April 2017. She was previously In my written report at the end out the relevance of the past for Director of the Holburne Museum of summer 2011, I reflected on contemporary audiences. When Bath (2014-2017) and Curator of the inspiration we can take from I was Director of the Holburne Paintings at Royal Collection Trust figures of the past, most notably Museum, Bath, I collaborated (2004-2014). 2 Attingham Trust Annual Review 2019 • Number 17 THE 68TH ATTINGHAM SUMMER SCHOOL 4 – 21 July 2019 • David Adshead and Tessa Wild, Directors The Summer School literally opened up an entirely new world of collections for me, full of unexpected and surprising discoveries. Marcus Pilz, Curatorial Fellow, Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Germany embers of this year’s were delighted to have the MSummer School opportunity to handle and came from 12 different examine pieces in detail. countries, many assisted by The complex iconography scholarships, and brought and layers of meaning of with them a rich and diverse the extraordinary Baroque range of experience and interiors, including the professional specialism. Heaven Room and the Hell Over the course of 18 Staircase by Antonio Verrio days, based in turn in for the 5th Earl of Exeter, Sussex, Derbyshire and were expertly unravelled Bedfordshire, we visited for us by Lydia Hamlett. 29 properties where over Our visit concluded with 80 lecturers, tutors and a fascinating tour of the property staff imparted their recently created Garden of invaluable knowledge. Surprises and the Capability Brown landscape with Lectures by Olivia Horsfall Burghley’s Head Gardener, Turner (Conservation Joe Whitehead. Tim Knox Philosophies), Adriano and Todd Longstaffe-Gowan, Aymonino (Robert Adam and kindly hosted an evening Ceramics seminar at Burghley House the birth of the ‘True Style party at Avenue House and of Antique Decoration’), Michael Robert Hildyard and Lucy Gibson invited us to explore their personal Hall (The Confirmed Bachelor) and at Flintham Hall and to Richard collections ranged throughout Adam Bowett (Exotic Woods and Craven-Smith-Milnes and his family the house and garden. This the Growth of Empire: 1600-1900) at Winkburn Hall, where as the sun engendered much lively discussion proved especially popular and set on a rather competitive game on contemporary collecting and prompted lively debate and sharing of croquet, he regaled us with the highlighted the impulse to collect of knowledge. At properties, key story of the house’s chequered