Hidden Patrons: Women and Architectural Patronage in Georgian Britain
Amy Boyington (Bloomsbury Visual Arts, £19.99)
THIS excellent book, originating from the author’s doctoral thesis, is a rich and meticulous study on why and how British elite women of the later-Stuart and Georgian eras engaged in architecture-related schemes: both new buildings and the adapting of existing ones, from palaces and villas to almshouses and garden structures. Interior design is included because, if absent, then much female activity would also disappear. Then again, major professional architects during this period, notably Robert Adam and Sir John Soane, considered interior decoration as integral to their architectural practice. Although women were usually commissioners and patrons, many of whom developed an early interest in architecture through their drawing masters, Hidden Patrons also explores the fascinating careers of those who justify the formal title of ‘architect’.
In her introduction, Amy Boyington immediately debunks the traditional view of architecture
