James Lomax

“Objects of Greatest Desire” takes readers on a fascinating journey through the art world, from Lomax’s early days as a student to his influential roles at prestigious institutions. The memoir is filled with personal anecdotes, professional insights, and vivid descriptions of the works of art which have defined his career.Why do young people defy their family so often and run away to follow their own destiny? This is a tale of a young man who risks everything to share his new-found enthusiasm for art with the whole world. He abandons his comfortable lair in London to train as an intern at Temple Newsam, an eccentric and well-known art museum near Leeds. He learns the hard way, but Fortune is on his side. But does he peak too early? Returning to Leeds after a few years, he relishes every opportunity to develop the collections, publish books, curate exhibitions, and acquire spectacular works of art for the museum. And his private life improves greatly. A dream job? Yes, but there are always complications. Nothing good ever comes without a little pain. James Lomax takes us on his 40-year adventure, navigating his way through the world of art, museums and heritage. Selectively and subjectively, he shows us his encounters with super-size egos, duchesses and cleaning ladies, unconventional characters of every type while always searching for objects of greatest desire…

‘Go on, Freddie, tell the whole story. Remember that last night when you were together. You knew then that your love had made you both immortal: here’s your chance to tell it.’ Suddenly confronted by memories of his first great love, Freddie McNaughton recounts how, together, they surmounted all obstacles until fate intervened. It’s the 1960s and the world is changing, identities being redefined and loyalties challenged. At his single-sex Catholic public school the volatile sixteen year-old Freddie is discovering things about himself which he doesn’t know how to handle. But falling in love with the beautiful Paul changes all that: they bond, and dream of a life together. They adopt Walt Whitman’s famous poem ‘We Two Boys Together Clinging’ which becomes their ‘national anthem’. Their intensity spills over in their response to art, music and poetry. Telling his story through a series of letters written fifty years after the event and discovered after his death, Freddie remembers the struggles that they had to overcome: not least those of faith, identity and loyalty. Yet, even as heartbreak lies in wait, this absorbing tale does not have a tragic end: the two firmly believe that their love for each other has made them immortal.

‘Go on, Freddie, tell the whole story. Remember that last night when you were together. You knew then that your love had made you both immortal: here’s your chance to tell it.’ Suddenly confronted by memories of his first great love, Freddie McNaughton recounts how, together, they surmounted all obstacles until fate intervened. It’s the 1960s and the world is changing, identities being redefined and loyalties challenged. At his single-sex Catholic public school the volatile sixteen year-old Freddie is discovering things about himself which he doesn’t know how to handle. But falling in love with the beautiful Paul changes all that: they bond, and dream of a life together. They adopt Walt Whitman’s famous poem ‘We Two Boys Together Clinging’ which becomes their ‘national anthem’. Their intensity spills over in their response to art, music and poetry. Telling his story through a series of letters written fifty years after the event and discovered after his death, Freddie remembers the struggles that they had to overcome: not least those of faith, identity and loyalty. Yet, even as heartbreak lies in wait, this absorbing tale does not have a tragic end: the two firmly believe that their love for each other has made them immortal.

For at least 150 years, Thomas Chippendale has been synonymous with beautifully made eighteenth-century furniture in a variety of styles – Rococo, Chinese, Gothic and Neoclassical. Born in Otley, Yorkshire, in 1718, Chippendale rose to fame because of his revolutionary design book, The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director, published in 1754. That same year he set up his famous workshops in St Martin’s Lane, creating some of the most magnificent furniture ever made in Britain. This beautifully illustrated history focuses on Britain’s most famous furniture maker and designer, including the worldwide phenomenon ‘Chippendale style’ that became popular in Europe, North America and Asia after his death in 1779. Today, his influence lives on with the ongoing production of ‘Chippendale’ furniture, while the eighteenth-century originals are selling for millions at auction.

This is the catalogue of the 2018 Leeds exhibition celebrating the tercentenary of Thomas Chippendale's birth. It covers all 95 exhibits including furniture, drawings, engravings, textiles and wallpaper, together with other contemporary and later material. Each entry is illustrated in colour, with supporting images in both colour and black and white. Also included are introductory essays to each section of the exhibition, covering Chippendale's life and career, his furniture styles, his relationships with customers, and his legacy from the 18th century to the present day.

Dunham Massey, near Altrincham in Cheshire, is home to one of the most outstanding collections of silver in Britain. Largely collected by the 2nd Earl of Warrington, the silver collection is remarkable in terms of scale and quality of craftsmanship and decoration. Dunham Massey, near Altrincham in Cheshire, is home to one of the most outstanding collections of silver in Britain. Largely collected by the 2nd Earl of Warrington, the silver collection is remarkable in terms of scale and quality of craftsmanship and decoration. This handsome volume constitutes a comprehensive catalogue of this extraordinary collection which contains over one thousand individual objects, many of which date from the period regarded as the Great Age of Country House Silver, 1680–1750. It is probably the largest collection of plate to have survived in the house for which it was originally made, with over weighing 26,000 ounces in total. Ranging from magnificent tureens to exquisite salt cellars, the range and quality of pieces in this magnificent collection are examined in detail for the first time in this lavishly illustrated catalogue. Specially commissioned photography and detailed catalogue entries provide information about the specification, manufacture, provenance and significance of the various pieces. Illustrated essays provide valuable background on the life of Lord Warrington at Dunham Massey, and a series of appendices include a transcript of the celebrated 1750 inventory, as well as information about other relevant collections of plate and the Huguenot goldsmiths who produced these superb works.