The Arts Society Bishop’s Stortford’s November lecture at South Mill Arts is ‘A Decorative Art: History of Wall Papers’ by Jo Banham

Wallpaper will be the subject of the Arts Society Bishop’s Stortford’s November lecture.

The meeting takes place at South Mill Arts on Tuesday November 12, with the society’s AGM at 10am followed at 10.40am by Jo Banham’s lecture called “A Decorative Art: History of Wall Papers”.

Jo is a freelance curator, lecturer and writer. She has previously worked at the Victoria & Albert Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and Tate Britain.

Current projects include an exhibition on William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement for the Juan March Fundacion in Madrid and the Museu Nacional d’Art Catalunya in Barcelona.

Each month, society member Mick Fitch reviews the latest talk and looks forward to the next subject for Indie readers.

He said: “Wallpapers have been used since the 16th century and include a huge range of beautiful patterns created by anonymous hands and some of the best-known designers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

“This lecture explores the history and development of wallpapers with a survey from the earliest times to the present day.

“Wallpapers are often regarded as the Cinderella of the decorative arts because they are replaced with every passing fashion, but come to the lecture and be convinced by Jo that wallpapers are a truly decorative art.”

The society’s October lecture was “The Misshapen Pearl: An Overview of the Music of the Baroque” by Sandy Burnett.

Mick said: “Sandy used his extensive experience as a broadcaster on Radio 3, as a conductor and hands-on practical experience as a musician - including his role as a double bass player in a jazz band - to bring the music of the period to life.

“The Baroque music period started in 1607 with Monteverdi’s opera Orfeo and ended in 1759 with the death of the great ‘English’ composer Handel.

“Sandy used hand-picked images, autograph scores and recorded music with a special focus on the composer Johann Sebastian Bach to illustrate his fascinating lecture.”

The Arts Society Bishop’s Stortford, founded in 1976, meets monthly at South Mill Arts on the second Tuesday of the month, with coffee from 10am. The lecture starts at 10.40am. Visitors are welcome to attend for a suggested £7 donation. To find out more see www.tasbs.org.uk.