This two-day study trip is a wonderful opportunity to stay at Knowsley Hall the seat of the Stanley family since 1385 and the Earls of Derby since 1485. The collection of furniture contains a few seventeenth-century pieces but is predominantly comprised of English and French items from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There are also some significant contemporary pieces commissioned by the current Earl and Countess of Derby. The most important piece of furniture is the celebrated Derby House commode, designed by Robert Adam and made by Ince and Mayhew for the 12th Earl’s house in Grosvenor Square. The visit will be led by Dr Stephen Lloyd, Curator of the Derby Collection and Lucy Wood, independent furniture historian, and will include a tour of both Knowsley Hall and a rare opportunity to see furniture in rooms, including Lord’s Derby’s Office, not normally accessible to the public in the private residence of Lord and Lady Derby. The FHS is very grateful for this special access.

We will also be visiting the Lady Lever Art Gallery where we see at least three Ince and Mayhew derivatives of the Derby House commode. Other visits include the Athenaeum and the Walker Art Gallery to see furniture by George Bullock and Herbert McNair.

Please contact events@furniturehistorysociety.org for an application form.  The deadline for applications will be 24 May 2024.

Aerial photograph of Knowsley Hall from the front