Roy Strong
Encyclopedia
Sir Roy Colin Strong FRSL (born 23 August 1935) is an English art historian, museum curator
, writer, broadcaster and landscape design
er. He has been director of both the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London. He was knighted in 1983.
, North London
and attended Edmonton County School
in Edmonton
.
He earned a first class honours degree in history at Queen Mary College
, University of London
. He then earned his Ph.D from the Warburg Institute
, University of London and became a research fellow
at the Institute of Historical Research
. His passionate interest in the portraiture of Queen Elizabeth I was sidelined "while he wrote a thesis on Elizabethan Court Pageantry supervised by the Renaissance
scholar, Dame Frances Yates
“who (he says) restructured and re-formed my thinking.” In 2007 Strong lists his qualifications as, DLitt PhD FSS.
portraits 1928-1968." Dedicated to the culture of the 1960s and 1970s, Sir Roy went on to amuse audiences at the V&A in 1974 with his collection of fedora hats, kipper ties and maxi coats. By regularly introducing new exhibitions he doubled attendance.
Reflecting on his time as director of the National Portrait Gallery, Sir Roy Strong pinpoints the exhibition "Beaton Portraits 1928-1968" as a turning point in the gallery’s history. Strong chose fashion photographer Cecil Beaton as a catalyst for change says much about the glamour and appeal of the photographer’s work. But even so, it seems unlikely that anyone could have predicted the sheer scale of the exhibition’s success. "The public flocked to the exhibition and its run was extended twice. The queues to get in made national news. The Gallery had arrived", Strong wrote in the catalogue to Beaton Portraits, the more recent exhibition of Beaton that ran at the gallery until 31 May 2004.
(V&A), London. In his tenure, until 1987, he presided over its The Destruction of the Country House
(1974, with Marcus Binney
and John Harris
), Change and Decay: the future of our churches (1977), and The Garden: a Celebration of a Thousand Years of British Gardening (1979), all of which have been credited with boosting their conservationist agendas. In 1980, "he was awarded the prestigious Shakespeare Prize
by the FVS Foundation of Hamburg
in recognition of his contribution to the arts in the UK."
(William Banting
) and Edwardian periods (Horace Fletcher
) and the 'roaring' Twenties (Dr Lulu Hunt Peters
). The weekly series was first aired on 18 March on Channel 4
.
church, near Stratford-upon-Avon
, on 10 September 1971 with a special licence from the Archbishop of Canterbury
. Julia Trevelyan Oman was 41 and her husband 35...they enjoyed a belated honeymoon in Tuscany
." She died in 2003 of pancreatic cancer.
, which lies 8 miles (12.9 km) south of Hereford
on the A49 trunk road
. Here, with his wife, he designed one of England's largest post-war formal gardens, the Laskett. In 1995 he and his wife commissioned the artist Jonathan Myles-Lea
to paint a 'portrait' of the house and gardens and the painting the Laskett was completed the same year. Sir Roy now works full-time as a writer and broadcaster. He has lived in Herefordshire
since 1973-74 and he and his wife conceived the Laskett garden in autumn 1974.
From spring 2010 (22 April onwards) the Laskett Gardens will be open to the public by appointment.
After leaving the V&A, Strong published a set of diaries that became infamous for its often critical assessments of figures in the art and political worlds. It has been rumoured that he has retained a set for posthumous publication. Jan Moir commented in 2002: "His bitchy, hilarious diaries caused a storm when they were published in 1997 and although he has no plans at present to publish another set, he is keeping a private diary again."
, as well as being high steward
of Westminster Abbey
. He was previously its high bailiff. In this capacity he attended the funeral service of the Queen Mother
in 2002. On 30 May 2007, in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral
, he delivered the annual Gresham College
Special Lecture, entitled The Beauty of Holiness and its Perils (or what is to happen to 10,000 parish churches?), which was deeply critical of the status quo. He said: "little case can be made in the twenty-first century for an expensive building to exist for a service once a week or month lasting an hour," and he recommends someone taking "an axe and hatchet the utterly awful kipper coloured choir stalls and pews, drag them out of the church and burn them," and "letting in the local community" in order to preserve many rural churches in Britain.
. An early bronze bust by Angela Conner is on view at Chatsworth House
, Derbyshire. In 2005, Strong sat for Jon Edgar
for a work in terracotta
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
, writer, broadcaster and landscape design
Landscape design
Landscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practised by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice landscape design bridges between landscape architecture and garden design.-Design scope:...
er. He has been director of both the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London. He was knighted in 1983.
Early years
Roy Colin Strong was born in Winchmore HillWinchmore Hill
Winchmore Hill is a district in the Borough of Enfield, North London, in the N21 postal district.- Location :With the Winchmore Hill conservation area as a focal point, Winchmore Hill is a ward of Enfield borough, bounded on the east by Green Lanes , Barrowell Green, Firs Lane and Fords Grove, and...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
and attended Edmonton County School
Edmonton County School
Edmonton County School was a specialist technology college in Edmonton in the London Borough of Enfield in north London.-Admissions:The Cambridge Campus buildings are the site which was used by the former grammar school on the Great Cambridge Road near Bush Hill Park railway station...
in Edmonton
Edmonton, London
Edmonton is an area in the east of the London Borough of Enfield, England, north-north-east of Charing Cross. It has a long history as a settlement distinct from Enfield.-Location:...
.
He earned a first class honours degree in history at Queen Mary College
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. He then earned his Ph.D from the Warburg Institute
Warburg Institute
The Warburg Institute is a research institution associated with the University of London in central London, England. A member of the School of Advanced Study, its focus is the study of the influence of classical antiquity on all aspects of European civilisation.-History:The Institute was founded by...
, University of London and became a research fellow
Research fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
at the Institute of Historical Research
Institute of Historical Research
The Institute of Historical Research is a British educational organisation providing resources and training for historical researchers. It is part of the School of Advanced Study in the University of London and is located at Senate House. The Institute was founded in 1921 by A. F...
. His passionate interest in the portraiture of Queen Elizabeth I was sidelined "while he wrote a thesis on Elizabethan Court Pageantry supervised by the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
scholar, Dame Frances Yates
Frances Yates
Dame Frances Amelia Yates DBE was a British historian. She taught at the Warburg Institute of the University of London for many years.She wrote extensively on the occult or Neoplatonic philosophies of the Renaissance...
“who (he says) restructured and re-formed my thinking.” In 2007 Strong lists his qualifications as, DLitt PhD FSS.
National Portrait Gallery
He became assistant keeper of the National Portrait Gallery in 1959, and was its director 1967-73: Sir Roy came to prominence at age 32 when he became the youngest director of the National Portrait Gallery. He set about transforming its conservative image with a series of extrovert shows, including "600 Cecil BeatonCecil Beaton
Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, CBE was an English fashion and portrait photographer, diarist, painter, interior designer and an Academy Award-winning stage and costume designer for films and the theatre...
portraits 1928-1968." Dedicated to the culture of the 1960s and 1970s, Sir Roy went on to amuse audiences at the V&A in 1974 with his collection of fedora hats, kipper ties and maxi coats. By regularly introducing new exhibitions he doubled attendance.
Reflecting on his time as director of the National Portrait Gallery, Sir Roy Strong pinpoints the exhibition "Beaton Portraits 1928-1968" as a turning point in the gallery’s history. Strong chose fashion photographer Cecil Beaton as a catalyst for change says much about the glamour and appeal of the photographer’s work. But even so, it seems unlikely that anyone could have predicted the sheer scale of the exhibition’s success. "The public flocked to the exhibition and its run was extended twice. The queues to get in made national news. The Gallery had arrived", Strong wrote in the catalogue to Beaton Portraits, the more recent exhibition of Beaton that ran at the gallery until 31 May 2004.
Victoria & Albert Museum
In 1973, aged 39, he became the youngest director of the Victoria and Albert MuseumVictoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
(V&A), London. In his tenure, until 1987, he presided over its The Destruction of the Country House
Destruction of the Country House exhibition
The Destruction of the Country House 1875-1975 was an exhibition held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1974, curated byV&A Director Roy Strong with John Harris and Marcus Binney .The exhibition included a "Hall of Destruction", decorated with falling columns and illustrations of some...
(1974, with Marcus Binney
Marcus Binney
Marcus Binney, CBE is a British architectural historian and author. He is best known for his conservation work regarding Britain's heritage.-Early and family life:...
and John Harris
John Harris (curator)
John Frederick Harris OBE is an English curator, historian of architecture, gardens and architectural drawings, and the author of more than 25 books and catalogues, and 200 articles...
), Change and Decay: the future of our churches (1977), and The Garden: a Celebration of a Thousand Years of British Gardening (1979), all of which have been credited with boosting their conservationist agendas. In 1980, "he was awarded the prestigious Shakespeare Prize
Shakespeare Prize
The Shakespeare Prize was an annual prize for writing or performance awarded to a British citizen by the Hamburg Alfred Toepfer Foundation. First given by Alfred Toepfer in 1937 as an expression of his Anglophilia in the face of tense international conditions, the prize was awarded only twice...
by the FVS Foundation of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
in recognition of his contribution to the arts in the UK."
Television
In 2008 Strong hosted a six-part TV reality series The Diets That Time Forgot. He acted as the Director of the fictitious Institute of Physical Culture, where nine volunteers spent 24 days testing three weight loss diets and fitness regimes that were popular in the late VictorianVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
(William Banting
William Banting
William Banting , was a formerly obese English undertaker who was the first to popularise a weight loss diet based on limiting intake of refined and easily digestible carbohydrates. He undertook his dietary changes at the suggestion of Dr...
) and Edwardian periods (Horace Fletcher
Horace Fletcher
Horace Fletcher was an American health-food faddist of the Victorian era who earned the nickname "The Great Masticator," by arguing that food should be chewed thirty two times – or, about 100 times per minute – before being swallowed: "Nature will castigate those who don't masticate." He invented...
) and the 'roaring' Twenties (Dr Lulu Hunt Peters
Lulu Hunt Peters
Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters was born and raised in California. She attended the University of California and graduated in 1909 as a Doctor of Medicine. Having grown up a hefty child and once weighing over 200 lbs, she was always extremely wary of the problems weight presented to her. A few years after...
). The weekly series was first aired on 18 March on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
.
Writings
In 1999, he published The Spirit of Britain: A Narrative History of the Arts, a widely acclaimed 700-page study of British arts through two millennia. In 2005, he published Coronation: A History of Kingship and the British Monarchy.Marriage
Roy Strong married Julia Trevelyan Oman in 1971. The arts world was astonished when "Strong abandoned the bachelor life and 'eloped' with Julia Trevelyan Oman, marrying her at WilmcoteWilmcote
Wilmcote is a village and since 2004 a separate civil parish in the English county of Warwickshire, about north of Stratford-upon-Avon. Prior to 2004, it was part of the same parish as Aston Cantlow and the 2001 population for the whole being 1,674....
church, near Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, on 10 September 1971 with a special licence from the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. Julia Trevelyan Oman was 41 and her husband 35...they enjoyed a belated honeymoon in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
." She died in 2003 of pancreatic cancer.
Herefordshire
Sir Roy lives in the village of Much BirchMuch Birch
Much Birch is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, between Hereford and Ross-on-Wye. The parish includes the settlements of Kings Thorn, Much Birch and parts of Wormelow....
, which lies 8 miles (12.9 km) south of Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
on the A49 trunk road
A49 road
The A49 is a major road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region. It runs north from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire via Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, then continues through central Cheshire to Warrington and Wigan before terminating at its junction with...
. Here, with his wife, he designed one of England's largest post-war formal gardens, the Laskett. In 1995 he and his wife commissioned the artist Jonathan Myles-Lea
Jonathan Myles-Lea
Jonathan Myles-Lea is an English painter of country houses, historic buildings, and landscapes in a miniaturist technique, typically taking the form of aerial views. Myles-Lea also works in portraiture, creates abstract paintings and installations.-Life and career:Jonathan Myles-Lea was born in...
to paint a 'portrait' of the house and gardens and the painting the Laskett was completed the same year. Sir Roy now works full-time as a writer and broadcaster. He has lived in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
since 1973-74 and he and his wife conceived the Laskett garden in autumn 1974.
From spring 2010 (22 April onwards) the Laskett Gardens will be open to the public by appointment.
After leaving the V&A, Strong published a set of diaries that became infamous for its often critical assessments of figures in the art and political worlds. It has been rumoured that he has retained a set for posthumous publication. Jan Moir commented in 2002: "His bitchy, hilarious diaries caused a storm when they were published in 1997 and although he has no plans at present to publish another set, he is keeping a private diary again."
Anglicanism
A practising Anglican, Strong is an altar server at Hereford CathedralHereford Cathedral
The current Hereford Cathedral, located at Hereford in England, dates from 1079. Its most famous treasure is Mappa Mundi, a mediæval map of the world dating from the 13th century. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building.-Origins:...
, as well as being high steward
High Steward of Westminster Abbey
The High Steward of Westminster Abbey is an honorary role at Westminster Abbey, London. He is appointed by the Dean and Chapter, and holds the office for life. Past holders have included Robert Cecil and Douglas Hurd The High Steward of Westminster Abbey is an honorary role at Westminster Abbey,...
of Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. He was previously its high bailiff. In this capacity he attended the funeral service of the Queen Mother
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
in 2002. On 30 May 2007, in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, he delivered the annual Gresham College
Gresham College
Gresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in central London, England. It was founded in 1597 under the will of Sir Thomas Gresham and today it hosts over 140 free public lectures every year within the City of London.-History:Sir Thomas Gresham,...
Special Lecture, entitled The Beauty of Holiness and its Perils (or what is to happen to 10,000 parish churches?), which was deeply critical of the status quo. He said: "little case can be made in the twenty-first century for an expensive building to exist for a service once a week or month lasting an hour," and he recommends someone taking "an axe and hatchet the utterly awful kipper coloured choir stalls and pews, drag them out of the church and burn them," and "letting in the local community" in order to preserve many rural churches in Britain.
Portraits of Sir Roy Strong
Seventeen portraits exist in the National Portrait Gallery Collection including both photograph and sketch by Cecil Beaton and an oil painting by Bryan OrganBryan Organ
Bryan Organ is an English painter.He is mainly known for his work in portraiture, and has painted likenesses of many public figures. He is represented at the National Portrait Gallery, in London....
. An early bronze bust by Angela Conner is on view at Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England, northeast of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield . It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and has been home to his family, the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549.Standing on the east bank of the...
, Derbyshire. In 2005, Strong sat for Jon Edgar
Jon Edgar
Jon Edgar is a British artist born in Rustington, West Sussex in 1968, the grandson of British cartoonist Brian White. He direct-carves in wood and stone using methods of improvisation, and works in clay.-Biography:...
for a work in terracotta
Honorary positions
- Chairman of the Art Department, Arts CouncilArts Council of Great BritainThe Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
. - Deputy Chairman, Southbank Centre.
- High Bailiff and Searcher of the Sanctuary of Westminster Abbey, from 2000.
- President, the Garden History Society, 2000-06.
- President, the Friends of Croome ParkCroome ParkCroome is an 18th century landscape park, garden and mansion house in south Worcestershire designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown with some features by Robert Adam. The park and garden are owned by the National Trust. The mansion house, Croome Court, was purchased by the Croome Heritage Trust and...
, from 2008.
External links
- The Laskett Gardens Official Website
- Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, London
- Edmonton County former pupils
- Julia Trevelyan Oman Archive at the University of Bristol Theatre Collection, University of BristolUniversity of BristolThe University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
- Roy Strong, After She'd Gone, The Guardian, 21 October 2006
- Alan Strachan, Julia Trevelyan Oman, Leading designer for theatre, ballet and opera (obituary), The Independent, 13 October 2003
- Val Hennessy, The bell tolls for Britain’s churches, Review of: A Little History of the English Country Church by Roy Strong (Cape, £16.99), Daily Mail, 24 September 2007