About this Event
Spring Lecture Series 2026
Heroines and Heroes of the Arts and Crafts Movement
THESE TICKETS ARE FOR IN PERSON ONLY. FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO ATTEND ONLINE, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS .
Since the pandemic, the Victorian Society’s two annual lecture series have taken place online, where they have drawn very large audiences. With the spring 2026 series, organised by Steven Brindle, Maya Donelan and Michael Hall, we are moving to a hybrid arrangement of in-person lectures that will be live-streamed as well as being available as recordings. The subject is one of perennial interest, the Arts and Crafts movement. Although it might be thought that there is little more to be learned about its leading practitioners, our speakers will be drawing on a large amount of new research, much of which is highlighting the often-neglected role played by women in a movement that remains of direct relevance to architects, artists and designers today.
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Spring Lecture Series: 4
Phoebe Anna Traquair by Elizabeth Cumming
‘A woman the size of a fly’: Louis Davis’s 1902 comment to his friend Robert Lorimer gives no idea of the sheer ambition and many achievements of Phoebe Anna Traquair (1852–1936). Born and educated in Ireland, she settled with her Scottish husband to Edinburgh, where she became involved in the city’s social art movement, painting murals in tiny and vast buildings and teaching design from the 1880s. In addition, she produced some of Britain’s most remarkable embroideries, illuminated manuscripts, tooled bookcovers and art enamels, packed with colour and imagination.
Our speaker, Dr Elizabeth Cumming, has documented Traquair’s life and art for nearly half a century, including most recently Phoebe Anna Traquair for the National Galleries of Scotland in 2022.
Lectures will be about an hour long and take place at NYU London, 265 Strand, London WC2R 1BH.
Doors open at 6:15 pm and the lecture starts at 6:30 pm. Refreshments will be available after the lecture (not included in the ticket prices).
Tube: Charing Cross, Waterloo or Temple.
Each lecture is recorded and sent out within a week after the talk. This recording can be accessed at any time.
This event helps raise funds for The Victorian Society - the only charity dedicated to fighting for our Victorian and Edwardian heritage. Join us today and safeguard our unique cultural heritage for future generations! For further information, .
The Victorian Society is an IHBC recognised CPD provider.
Image: Steinway piano decorated by Phoebe Traquair, National Museum of Scotland, By Stephencdickson - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=125670555
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
New York University in London, 265 Strand, London, United Kingdom
GBP 5.50 to GBP 20.00
