The last surviving Mitford sister, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire was nicknamed “the housewife duchess” (more…)
Tag: art
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Her Grace Deborah Cavendish, The Dowager Duchess of Devonshire DCVO (1920 – 2014; née The Hon. Deborah Freeman-Mitford)
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Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld (AKA “Vlad” Restoin Roitfeld)
The Paris-born son of fashion editor Carine Roitfeld and Equipment shirt brand founder Christian Restoin, Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld is the founder of New York art dealership of the same name. He’s the godson of the photographer Mario Testino and has dated the fashionista Giovanna Battaglia and “the female Roman Abramovich” Goga Ashkenazi. Restoin Roitfeld – described by Forbes as a “gentleman [who] means business” – has worked on exhibitions at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Sotheby’s S2 Gallery and Phillips de Pury. His set includes the “billionheir” Andy Valmorbida, the Greek shipping heir Stavros Niarchos and the artist Marco Perego. -
Carter Cleveland
The founder of the Artsy describes his website as “where art meets science” and has some 5,000 followers on Twitter. Princeton educated Carter Cleveland’s impressive roster of backers number Jack Dorsey, Larry Gagosian, Wendi Murdoch, Eric Schmidt and Dasha Zhukova and his rather bold aim is to provide “the place where every single user in the world goes to discover art online”. Cleveland has raised £15,931,000 ($26,000,000) in funding and featured on both Town & Country’s ‘Most Eligible Bachelors’ list and Forbes’ ‘30 under 30’ in 2014. -
Lady Wolfson
With her late husband, Lady Wolfson was and remains as one of the UK’s leading philanthropists. The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation provides around £35 million per year “to support scientific and medical research, education and the arts” and this fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge; King’s College, London; University College, London; the Ashmolean, Oxford; Imperial College, London and the Royal Albert Hall is also a patron of the Royal College of Surgeons; a member of the Lord Major’s Appeal committee, a member of the Red Cross International & Scientific committee, the chair of the committee for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital; a yeoman of the Worshipful Company of Apothecaries; a member of the Campaign for Institute of Physics and honorary president of Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. How on earth does this stoic and generous lady find the time? -
Peter Webb: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
The Steeple Times asks professional polo player Peter Webb: “What’s on your mantelpiece?” (more…)
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Five of the Best: Conversation pieces
‘The Steeple Times’ chooses five unusual objects that will prove to be conversation pieces in any home
This week sees Christie’s South Kensington auction a selection of “unconventional” items in their second annual Out of the Ordinary sale. With the help of them, Salvage Europe and Bonhams, here we choose five of the best conversation pieces currently available (more…)
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Out of the Ordinary
Highlights from the second annual Christie’s South Kensington sale of unusual items and objects, ‘Out of the Ordinary’
On 3rd September Christie’s South Kensington will auction “an eclectic selection of art and ephemera celebrating the joy of the unconventional”. Here, The Steeple Times selects a few highlights (more…)
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America’s Downton
An opportunity to buy an American equivalent of Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey returns to our screens this autumn and one has to ask whether its writer Julian Fellowes was at all influenced by the story of the story of Peter Widener of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania whose son and grandson both died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic. (more…)
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Harrowing Harris
Paedophile Rolf Harris launches bid to overturn his conviction
Rolf Harris’ lawyers have lodged papers at the Court of Appeal as part of an attempt to overturn his recent conviction on 12 counts of indecent assault – indication, surely, that the arrogance of this Australian monster plainly hasn’t faded as he sits rotting in a jail cell. (more…)
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Larry and Leigh’s love nest
Small, unmodernised former home of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh for sale for the extraordinary figure of £7.5 million
Built in 1850, Durham Cottage in Christchurch Street, Chelsea is a house “hidden behind a high dusty brick wall” that was the love nest of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh between 1937 and 1956. Now, in totally unmodernised condition, the house is for sale after failing to sell at auction (despite a bid of £6,980,000). (more…)