A History Of Kettle’s Yard – Village Society Talk
Andrew Smith will talk on “A History Of Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge and its founder” on Zoom at 7.30pm on Tuesday 29th June for the Village Society
Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge was quoted as ‘One of the country’s most intimate and spellbinding museums, the collection of one man and his unerring eye; restorative, homely yet life-changing’ by Mark Fisher, in ‘Britain’s Best Museums and Galleries, 2004.’
This unique talk will cover the history and architecture of Kettle’s Yard and why it has been so influential as an ‘art environment’. The life of its founder, Jim Ede, is fascinating and Andrew will discuss what he was trying to achieve in the creation of Kettle’s Yard with some wonderful social history context, especially the effect of two world wars on Jim. Insights will also be given on some of the most important artists in Jim’s collection and also the ‘non art’ objects that are important to the collection.
Andrew Smith has been a long-term fan of Kettle’s Yard since he moved to the area in the 1980s. He’s worked as a visitor assistant since 2014, after a career in the design and manufacture of household electrical products and regularly gives guided tours of the house. His recent research projects include researching the history and background of the furniture in Kettle’s Yard House, although Andrew still describes himself as an enthusiast rather than an expert! He is a wonderful speaker and his enthusiasm for the house is totally infectious.
The talks are free to all members and membership of H&I Village Society is currently free. So please contact them to register as a new member. Zoom links for the talks will be sent to members directly.
