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Speaker Stephen Duffy,  gave a fascinating talk about the founding of The Wallace Collection, an outstanding collection of Paintings, furniture, porcerlain, arms and armour. The museum in Hertford House, Manchester Square, London, of which Stephen was formerly Senior Curator, contains 5,500 pieces of art collected by five generations of one family between 1760 and 1880 - the first four Marquesses of Hertford along with Richard ...

Tate Britain and Tate Modern art guide and lecturer Raymond Warburton opened our eyes to the rise and development of street art in Britain. Originating in the United States in the early 1970s, graffiti first appeared on the trains and subways of New York as a counter-cultural creative outlet for poor Black and Latino youth. It arrived in Britain through the influence of the film ...

Our lecturer this month was Dr Graham Jones, former soldier, musician, and long-serving figure in military music. Now organiser of London Military Band Week, he delivered a lively and engaging talk on how our Armed Forces celebrate Christmas both at home and overseas. In London, the Changing of the Guard began in 1698 when the court was based at St James’s Palace. When Queen Victoria ...

Mokuhanga woodcut artist, author, and teacher Carol Wilhide Justin led us on a fascinating exploration of the profound influence of Japanese art on the Western world. After being closed to outsiders for more than two centuries, Japan opened its doors in the 19th century, and since then, its inspiring culture and design have deeply impacted art, cuisine, ceramics, architecture, manga, fashion, Zen philosophy, and even ...

Lee Miller was a complex figure. Born Elizabeth Miller in New York back in 1907, the ‘Lee’ bit came later after modelling nude before her Father’s camera from puberty through to her late teens. She had been raped by a family friend at the age of 7 and judging by her photography, these experiences all had a lasting effect on her life. Tall, willowy and ...

Annalie Talent, lecturer and educationalist, delivered a lively and informative talk on how 18th-century writers and poets viewed the natural world—a time when animals were largely regarded as mindless beings incapable of feeling pain. Samuel Taylor Coleridge was among the first to challenge this notion, referring to birds, insects, and animals as "God's creatures" in his poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Naturalist Gilbert White, ...

Pewter, was described by author and lecturer Andrew Spira as a “utilitarian material with no airs and graces, evoking daily contentment” Originating in the Near East, remains of pewter coins and tableware have been found in ancient Egypt and Rome. Pewter was cheaper than silver but more refined than wood or pottery. It is one of the oldest alloys and was made up then of ...

Some 80 members of the Society enjoyed a delicious champagne tea reception in the lovely Long Hall at Ramster Hall near Chiddingfold on 22nd July to mark our 40th Anniversary. Dating back to the 17th Century, Ramster was first built by a wealth glassmaker, Chiddingfold then being the centre of the glassmaking industry.  Originally a farm barn, the Long Hall was converted in 1900 to ...

Thirty three members of TASG left at 8.30a.m from Grayshott by coach and were driven straight to Brighton,   arriving at 10.20 in time for our visit to the Royal Pavilion (aka The Brighton Pavilion). We were dropped just outside this impressive palace with its Indian-inspired domes and minarets designed by the theatre designer and architect Paul Nash. Once inside and armed with our audio guides, ...

Well known author, broadcaster and Antiques Roadshow expert Mark Hill spoke passionately about the pioneering art of glassmaker Michael Harris in this lecture. Pre-1960s glass making and glass artists were separate roles. Glass was only made in big factories as it was an expensive process and there was no formal training. Michael Harris (1933-1994) was a graduate of the Royal College of Art, and was ...

Our May lecture, celebrating the centenary of the 1925 Paris Expo, was given by Pamela Campbell- Johnston who specialises in British Domestic Architecture and Modern British Art. This Expo was set up to show case the new Art Deco movement which was developing in the early 20 th Century, moving on from the Art Nouveau movement. It was primarily aimed at showcasing everything French. The ...

Giving his talk subtitled “TfLL - Transforming London’s Looks” author, broadcaster and documentary film maker Mark Ovenden described how London had grown quickly from the 18th Century onwards. The first railways such as the Surrey Iron Railway (1803) and the first commuter railway were built around the city but did not help people get across London. As steam train designs developed, the solution was to ...