Lunchtime Lecture: Ruskin and the bookcases made for John Jones

Discover the story behind two carved oak Gothic Revival bookcases designed by Charles Forster Hayward (1831 – 1905). Hayward was one of a generation of architects who were inspired by John Ruskin. In this lecture, Max Donnelly, our Curator of Nineteenth-Century Furniture, will consider whether Hayward's bookcases and their profusely carved details, can be read as practical applications of Ruskinian principles. The lecture will also discuss the roles played by the architect, artists and craftsmen involved in decorating the bookcases, including the poet and painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti and carver William Henry Baylis.

Visit our SoundCloud channel to listen to past Lunchtime Lectures: soundcloud.com/vamuseum/sets/v-a-lunchtime-lecture-series