"Spencer House is one of the great architectural landmarks of London. Built in the eighteenth century by John, 1st Earl Spencer, an ancestor of the Princess of Wales, it was immediately recognized as a building of major importance and is today the most complete surviving example of its kind, the great London mansions of the nobility and gentry having largely been demolished. Under the direction of its current occupants, the J. Rothschild group of companies, the house has recently been the object of one of the most ambitious restoration projects to be undertaken this century and the state rooms are now open to the public." "In this first in-depth study, Joseph Friedman highlights the unique importance of the building and argues that the great London mansion was no less significant than the country house in shaping the architectural, social and political history of England. He documents the history of Spencer House from its construction to the present day, and examines the revolutionary work of its architects: John Vardy, whose designs for the exterior and ground floor mark the evolution from Palladianism towards a Neo-Classicism inspired by the architecture of ancient Rome, and James 'Athenian' Stuart, who pioneered the use of Greek architectural ornament in the decoration of the first-floor rooms." "At a deeper level, the author argues that Spencer House has much to teach us about the all-embracing role of the architect in the eighteenth century, and the importance of symbolism, metaphor and allegory. By tracing the sources of the building's design he sheds new light on the philosophy and methodology of eighteenth-century English architecture, and attitudes towards the art and architecture of the past. The successive owners of the house are chronicled, beginning with a history of the Spencer family, in particular John, 1st Earl Spencer, and culminating in a discussion of the conditions which led to the letting of the house and the eventual sale of the lease to the J. Rothschild group. The survey concludes with a detailed account of the restoration and the ingenious ideas which guaranteed its success." "The book is illustrated throughout with sumptuous interiors, architectural drawings and details, portraits and maps."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

"An exploration of loss, happiness, and healing, Margaret's brilliant debut digs into the private lives of three women." -The Prairies Book Review For Winnie Spade, leaving her old life behind is the only thing that makes sense. Left uprooted after a broken engagement and with no family to call on, she hitchhikes across to country and lands in the small Minnesotan town of Manitou Lake. Winnie is taken in by Eleanor Reader, the caring owner of an island on which she lives and runs her unconventional church. Winnie is allowed to heal from her scarred past, but when Eleanor's ownership of the island is challenged, Winnie must break down the walls she's built in order to protect the home that has taken her in.A story of love and loss, religion and science, philosophy and dogma, and addiction and freedom, The Anchor House is a look at healing and happiness in an imperfect life and how we love those who save us.

This appealing memoir introduces the family of Charles Hart Spencer and his wife Mary Acheson: seven children born between 1884 and 1895. It also introduces a large Victorian house in Shadyside (a Pittsburgh neighborhood) and a middle-class way of life at the turn of the century.Mr. Spencer, who worked—not very happily—for Henry Clay Frick, was one of the growing number of middle-management employees in American industrial cities in the 1880s and 1890s. His income, which supported his family of nine, a cook, two regular nurses, and at times a wet nurse and her baby, guaranteed a comfortable life but not a luxurious one. In the words of the editors, the Spencers represent a class that "too often stands silent or stereotyped as we rush forward toward the greater glamour of the robber barons or their immigrant workers."Through the eyes of Ethel Spencer, the third daughter, we are led with warmth and humor through the routine of everyday life in this household: school, play, church on Sundays, illness, family celebrations, and vacations. Ethel was an observant child, with little sentimentality, and she wrote her memoir in later life as a professor of English with a gift for clear prose and the instincts of an anthropologist. As the editors observe, her memoir is "a fascinating insight into one kind of urban life of three generations ago."The book is richly illustrated with family photographs taken by Mr. Spencer, who was a talented amateur photographer.

Respected author and designer Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill’s newest book inspires us to incorporate time-tested design principles into modern living. A noted authority on period homes and historic styles, Henrietta Spencer-Churchill celebrates the life of great rooms over the years and the evolution of their architectural features and interior decoration. Featuring a stunning selection of historic homes in both England and the United States, The Life of the House reveals the best of architectural and furnishing details from the last three hundred years, with ideas on updating these spaces for modern times. The book is organized by room, including the living room, from formal reception rooms to the modern-day family room; the library, once a gentleman’s retreat and now often a home office or den; the dining room, once a formal status symbol, now frequently a casual open-plan room; and the kitchen, once a servants’ area, now a multifunctional family space. Chapters on creative modern uses of such traditional rooms as ballrooms and conservatories are also included. With photographs of exquisite interiors from every important historical period and Spencer-Churchill’s fascinating text revealing life behind the scenes in these houses, this book is filled with creative ideas on incorporating traditional style into contemporary settings.

A lively new history of London told through twenty-five buildings, from iconic Georgian townhouses to the Shard A walk along any London street takes you past a wealth of seemingly ordinary buildings: an Edwardian church, modernist postwar council housing, stuccoed Italianate terraces, a Bauhaus-inspired library. But these buildings are not just functional. They are evidence of London’s rich and diverse history and have shaped people’s experiences, identities, and relationships. In this engaging study, Paul L. Knox traces the history of London from the Georgian era to the present day through twenty-five surviving buildings. Knox explores where people lived and worked, from grand Regency squares to Victorian workshops, and highlights the impact of migration, gentrification, and inequality. We see famous buildings, like Harrods and Abbey Road Studios, and everyday places like Rochelle Street School and Thamesmead. Each historical period has introduced new buildings, and old ones have been repurposed. As Knox shows, it is the living history of these buildings that makes up the vibrant, but exceptionally unequal, city of today.

In 1806, the Marquess and Marchioness of Stafford opened a gallery at Cleveland House, London, to display their internationally-renowned collection of Old Master paintings to the public. A ticket to the gallery's Wednesday afternoon openings was a sought-after prize, granting access to the collection and the house's dazzling interior in the company of artists, celebrities, and Britain's elite. This book explores the gallery's interior through the lens of its abundant material culture, including paintings in gilded frames, furniture, silver oil lamps, flower arrangements, and the numerous printed catalogues and guidebooks that made the gallery visible to those who might never cross its threshold. Through detailed analysis of these objects and a wide range of other visual, material, textual and archival sources, the book presents the gallery at Cleveland House as a methodological case study on how the display of art in the 19th century was shaped by notions about public and private space, domesticity, and the role art galleries played in the formation of national culture. In doing so, the book also explains how and why magnificent private galleries and the artworks and objects they contained gripped the public imagination during a critical period of political and cultural transformation during and after the Napoleonic Wars. Combining historical, cultural and material analysis, the book will make essential reading for researchers in British art in the Regency period, museum studies, collecting studies, social history, and the histories of interior decoration and design in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Great Houses of London tells the stories of some of the grandest and most fascinating houses in this historic city, from their famous owners and occupants to their renovations and the many riches held within each.