Month: February 2016

Since they were created Earls of Derby in 1485, the Stanleys – a great Lancastrian family, whose seat, Knowsley Hall, is near Liverpool – have been significant in the life of the nation as patrons and collectors, sportsmen and politicians. These absorbing essays by a distinguished cast of contributors including the historian David Starkey, on Lady Margaret…

It’s winter in Malta, 1862. Edward Lear, lover of wordplay and watercolour, is writing a letter. His phrasing echoes the rhythm of Mediterranean tides against this tiny archipelago: “I draw constantly on the Barracca point; meaning to paint a picture thereof one day; and I wander up and down the beautiful streets of Valletta and…