Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research

Forgotten Female Pioneers: A Curious Histories Special Double Bill

Thursday 19 October 2023
19:00 - 22:00
The Folklore Rooms
12 North Street Brighton and Hove BN1 3GJ

Mary Gartside: The Woman Who Reimagined Colour (Alexandra Loske)

Before well-known male colour theorists such as Goethe, Chevreul and George Field made a splash in the nineteenth century, Mary Gartside, an English botanical watercolourist, was already ahead of them. Her 1805 book 'An Essay on Light and Shade, on Colours and on Composition', was a fascinating and inventive publication on colour theory and painting in general, but her contribution to the field has been largely overlooked. Alexandra Loske's talk restores Gartside's life and work to their deserved place.

Ellen Willmott: The Greatest Gardener You’ve Never Heard Of... (Steve Bustin)

Ellen Willmott was the gardening doyenne of the late Victorian and Edwardian age, friends with royalty and celebrated for her expertise and passion for plants. Yet now few people have heard of her or her once world-famous garden in Essex. Steve Bustin tells her colourful story, including ghosts, guns and some early guerrilla gardening.

Our speakers:

Dr Alexandra Loske is a widely published art historian and Curator of Brighton's Royal Pavilion. She is also an associate researcher at Sussex University. Her primary interest is the history of colour in art, print culture and interiors.

Steve Bustin is a keen gardener, garden writer and lover of garden stories. In his day job he’s a business communication specialist and public speaking coach.

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