273:
inventories to provide a primary resource for "the interpretation of the historic interior". The book was in preparation at the time of his death and what was to be a tribute became also a memorial to his life's work. As the book's dust-wrapper states: "John
Cornforth's hope was that this publication would revitalise the study of the great house in the eighteenth century. As we leaf through the book on a journey of discovery it is as if he is still present, at our elbow."
256:
272:
Fund and was its chairman for many years. This charity is concerned with funding research and publication in
English local history, archaeology and related subjects. When in 2001 the Fund's council members proposed a fitting tribute on his retirement, Cornforth put forward the idea of a book of
285:. Around eight hundred books were added to the Paul Mellon Centre's library and significantly increased the library's holdings of publications on history of the country house, including those in Northern Ireland, and 18th-century decorative arts.
214:
795:
218:
775:
282:
790:
301:
230:
815:
800:
780:
770:
805:
744:
236:
He also took an interest in interior decoration of the houses under the care of the
National Trust, and was influenced by the interior decorator
222:
600:
580:
560:
540:
520:
500:
480:
447:
414:
374:
103:
810:
182:
The classic houses of the 17th and 18th centuries were his passion: he had little interest in
Victorian houses, and disliked the 1930s
325:
785:
122:
58:
148:
221:, Cornforth was involved in vetting the many houses that were offered to the National Trust. He became a member of the
706:"John Cornforth A Passion for Houses: Material on the Georgian Town House from the Cornforth Library Donation Display"
313:
249:
281:
In 2004 Cornforth's collection of books was bequeathed to the
National Trust and subsequently transferred to the
705:
442:. New Haven, Conn.; London: Yale University Press for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, 2004
290:
John
Cornforth: A Passion for Houses: Material on the Georgian Town House from the Cornforth Library Donation
321:
152:
143:
86:
80:(2 September 1937 – 5 May 2004) was an architectural historian with a particular interest in the history of
680:
738:
225:
in 1971. He was influential figure behind the scenes, on practical measures and taxation. He also wrote
110:. He took no interest in country pursuits – riding or shooting, cricket or golf – but enjoyed looking at
341:
333:
237:
81:
765:
760:
99:
535:; with photographs by Timothy Beddow. Harmondsworth: Viking in association with Country Life, 1985
732:
248:, published in 1974. Cornforth was also involved in the creation of new British galleries at the
241:
102:
in
Staffordshire, an only child of parents with private means. His childhood friends included
623:
610:
603:
596:
583:
576:
563:
556:
543:
536:
523:
516:
503:
496:
483:
476:
463:
450:
443:
430:
417:
410:
397:
384:
377:
370:
357:
329:
666:
646:
260:
207:
126:
107:
167:
in 1967. He stepped down in 1977 to concentrate on his book writing, and was succeeded by
651:
337:
309:
138:
754:
317:
199:
191:
187:
168:
160:
118:
54:
195:
292:
which highlighted some of the significant items from John
Cornforth's collection.
255:
203:
462:. London: Country Life, 1955, 3 vols (with Christopher Hussey and Oliver Hill)
305:
269:
183:
84:. He was the author of many books and articles, and architectural editor of
356:. London: National Trust, 1970 (with notes on the pictures by St John Gore)
587:
388:
627:
614:
607:
527:
507:
487:
467:
454:
434:
421:
401:
567:
547:
533:
The
Inspiration of the Past: Country house taste in the twentieth century
381:
361:
653:
Noble
Households: Eighteenth-Century Inventories of Great English Houses
575:. London: Michael Joseph in association with the Royal Collection, 1996
147:, joining the staff at the magazine in 1961. Its architectural editor
622:. London: National Trust, 1980, reprinted 1985 (with C. St. Q. Wall)
288:
In February 2016, the Paul Mellon Centre held an exhibition entitled
179:
for over 40 years, with a bibliography extending to over 50 pages.
394:
Country Houses in Britain, Can They Survive? An independent report
254:
175:
in 1993 but continued to write books and articles. He wrote for
593:
The Search for a Style: Country Life and architecture, 1897–1935
595:. London: André Deutsch in association with Country Life, 1988
396:. London: Country Life for the British Tourist Authority, 1974
77:
369:. London: Government Art Collection, 1992 (with Mary Beal)
219:
At a time when country houses were under substantial threat
495:. London: Barrie & Jenkins, 1974 (with John Fowler)
304:
in 2001. He never married, but kept a convivial flat in
213:
Cornforth joined the Historic Buildings Committee of the
137:
After university, Cornforth worked as a volunteer in the
367:
British Embassy, Paris: The house and its works of art
151:, encouraged Cornforth to write a book with architect
155:
on 17th-century country houses, published in 1966 as
553:
London Interiors: From the archives of Country Life
513:
English Interiors, 1790–1848: The quest for comfort
268:From 1968 until 2001 he served as a trustee of the
64:
50:
42:
30:
23:
573:Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother at Clarence House
475:. London: Country Life, 1966 (with Oliver Hill)
427:The Country Life Picture Book of Country Houses
796:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
141:in London, and started to write articles for
8:
302:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
227:Country Houses in Britain, Can They Survive?
157:English Country Houses: Caroline, 1625–1685
776:Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
473:English Country Houses: Caroline, 1625–1685
231:Destruction of the Country House exhibition
125:, where he was influenced by art historian
20:
159:. Cornforth followed Hussey's successor
106:, later 5th Earl of Lichfield, at nearby
407:The Country Houses of England, 1948-1998
638:
493:English Decoration in the 18th Century
246:English Decoration in the 18th Century
223:Historic Buildings Council for England
681:"Donated Collections: John Cornforth"
650:. See also the web page for the book
515:. London: Barrie & Jenkins, 1978
7:
791:People from the Borough of Stafford
745:John Cornforth by John Stanton Ward
741:, The Daily Telegraph, 10 May 2004
326:Michael Parsons, 6th Earl of Rosse
14:
816:20th-century English male writers
123:Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
59:Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
801:English male non-fiction writers
781:English architectural historians
771:People educated at Repton School
16:British architectural historian
806:Country Life (magazine) people
244:. Cornforth and Fowler wrote
229:in 1974, the same year as the
1:
429:. London: Country Life, 1963
320:. Amongst his friends were
555:. London: Aurum Press, 2000
121:and then studied history at
37:Haywood Abbey, Staffordshire
747:, National Portrait Gallery
163:as architectural editor at
114:from before he could read.
832:
811:Writers from Staffordshire
735:, The Guardian, 8 May 2004
409:. London: Constable, 1998
354:Attingham Park: Shropshire
250:Victoria and Albert Museum
786:British magazine writers
620:Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire
440:Early Georgian Interiors
314:St Mary's, Bourne Street
308:, and worshipped at the
322:Anne, Countess of Rosse
264:edited by Tessa Murdoch
68:Architectural historian
460:English Country Houses
265:
98:Cornforth was born at
82:English country houses
334:Gervase Jackson-Stops
258:
75:John Lewley Cornforth
670:, jacket front flap.
186:reinterpretation of
206:, with the help of
171:. He retired from
117:He was educated at
90:from 1967 to 1977.
710:Paul Mellon Centre
685:Paul Mellon Centre
344:and Martin Drury.
342:Wilson Rockefeller
283:Paul Mellon Centre
266:
242:Colefax and Fowler
149:Christopher Hussey
601:978-0-23-398327-1
581:978-0-71-814191-2
561:978-1-85-410668-1
541:978-0-67-080180-0
521:978-0-21-420290-2
501:978-0-21-420033-5
481:978-0-90-746278-1
448:978-0-30-010330-4
415:978-0-09-479150-3
375:978-0-95-164681-6
330:Rupert Alec-Smith
72:
71:
823:
721:
720:
718:
716:
702:
696:
695:
693:
691:
677:
671:
667:Noble Households
663:
657:
647:Noble Households
643:
261:Noble Households
233:at the V&A.
108:Shugborough Hall
34:2 September 1937
21:
831:
830:
826:
825:
824:
822:
821:
820:
751:
750:
729:
724:
714:
712:
704:
703:
699:
689:
687:
679:
678:
674:
664:
660:
644:
640:
636:
350:
298:
279:
135:
96:
51:Alma mater
38:
35:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
829:
827:
819:
818:
813:
808:
803:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
773:
768:
763:
753:
752:
749:
748:
742:
736:
728:
727:External links
725:
723:
722:
697:
672:
658:
637:
635:
632:
631:
630:
617:
590:
570:
550:
530:
510:
490:
470:
457:
437:
424:
404:
391:
364:
349:
348:Selected works
346:
338:David Mlinaric
310:Anglo-Catholic
297:
294:
278:
275:
215:National Trust
194:in Sussex for
139:British Museum
134:
131:
95:
92:
70:
69:
66:
62:
61:
52:
48:
47:
44:
40:
39:
36:
32:
28:
27:
25:John Cornforth
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
828:
817:
814:
812:
809:
807:
804:
802:
799:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
767:
764:
762:
759:
758:
756:
746:
743:
740:
737:
734:
731:
730:
726:
711:
707:
701:
698:
686:
682:
676:
673:
669:
668:
662:
659:
655:
654:
649:
648:
642:
639:
633:
629:
625:
621:
618:
616:
612:
609:
605:
602:
598:
594:
591:
589:
585:
582:
578:
574:
571:
569:
565:
562:
558:
554:
551:
549:
545:
542:
538:
534:
531:
529:
525:
522:
518:
514:
511:
509:
505:
502:
498:
494:
491:
489:
485:
482:
478:
474:
471:
469:
465:
461:
458:
456:
452:
449:
445:
441:
438:
436:
432:
428:
425:
423:
419:
416:
412:
408:
405:
403:
399:
395:
392:
390:
386:
383:
379:
376:
372:
368:
365:
363:
359:
355:
352:
351:
347:
345:
343:
339:
335:
331:
327:
323:
319:
318:Sloane Square
315:
311:
307:
303:
296:Personal life
295:
293:
291:
286:
284:
276:
274:
271:
263:
262:
257:
253:
251:
247:
243:
239:
234:
232:
228:
224:
220:
216:
211:
209:
208:Salvador DalĂ
205:
201:
200:Kit Nicholson
197:
193:
192:Monkton House
189:
188:Edwin Lutyens
185:
180:
178:
174:
170:
169:Marcus Binney
166:
162:
161:Mark Girouard
158:
154:
150:
146:
145:
140:
132:
130:
128:
127:Michael Jaffé
124:
120:
119:Repton School
115:
113:
109:
105:
104:Patrick Anson
101:
100:Haywood Abbey
93:
91:
89:
88:
83:
79:
76:
67:
63:
60:
56:
55:Repton School
53:
49:
45:
41:
33:
29:
22:
19:
713:. Retrieved
709:
700:
688:. Retrieved
684:
675:
665:
661:
652:
645:
641:
619:
592:
572:
552:
532:
512:
492:
472:
459:
439:
426:
406:
393:
366:
353:
300:He became a
299:
289:
287:
280:
267:
259:
245:
235:
226:
212:
196:Edward James
181:
177:Country Life
176:
173:Country Life
172:
165:Country Life
164:
156:
144:Country Life
142:
136:
116:
112:Country Life
111:
97:
87:Country Life
85:
74:
73:
18:
766:2004 deaths
761:1937 births
238:John Fowler
204:Hugh Casson
153:Oliver Hill
755:Categories
588:1171912666
389:1113253594
306:Marylebone
270:Marc Fitch
217:in 1965.
184:Surrealist
94:Early life
65:Occupation
46:5 May 2004
628:709883746
615:851973468
608:496077190
528:237023160
508:905258952
488:612520707
468:604439618
455:938151474
435:935101573
422:607116348
402:490281849
324:(wife of
739:Obituary
733:Obituary
715:9 August
690:9 August
568:78537882
548:12511807
382:35135623
362:11329635
316:, near
312:church
277:Library
626:
613:
606:
599:
586:
579:
566:
559:
546:
539:
526:
519:
506:
499:
486:
479:
466:
453:
446:
433:
420:
413:
400:
387:
380:
373:
360:
332:, and
133:Career
634:Notes
240:, of
198:, by
717:2017
692:2017
624:OCLC
611:OCLC
604:OCLC
597:ISBN
584:OCLC
577:ISBN
564:OCLC
557:ISBN
544:OCLC
537:ISBN
524:OCLC
517:ISBN
504:OCLC
497:ISBN
484:OCLC
477:ISBN
464:OCLC
451:OCLC
444:ISBN
431:OCLC
418:OCLC
411:ISBN
398:OCLC
385:OCLC
378:OCLC
371:ISBN
358:OCLC
202:and
43:Died
31:Born
328:),
190:'s
78:CBE
757::
708:.
683:.
340:,
336:,
252:.
210:.
129:.
57:;
719:.
694:.
656:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.