April 11, 2012

Billy Baldwin & Adam Lewis

I was invited to attend a private lecture at the Friends of the American Wing at the Baltimore Museum of Art featuring Adam Lewis as the guest speaker, talking about Baltimorean, Billy Baldwin.Billy-Baldwin-The-Great-American-Decorator[3]I’d heard Adam speak at an all-day symposium on Billy Baldwin several years ago at Evergreen House and have a copy of his terrific book on Billy Baldwin.  This lecture was every bit as good, and even more personal.BB@Evergreen 035[2] It seemed to be a bit more reflective, and in light of the recent death of Albert Hadley, whose service Adam had attended in Nashville earlier this week, he was probably thinking about all of the great decorators who have now gone, and possibly wondering who will fill their shoes.BillyBaldwin_p078The lecture was illustrated with slides of many of the gorgeous rooms BB had decorated, many of which look as fresh today as they did 50 or 60 years ago. I was fortunate to sit next to Adam at a small dinner after the lecture and was charmed to hear his stories about the “old” days in New York, when decorators had clients like Babe Paley, Diana Vreeland and the Gilbert Millers. Adam said that one client like any of those, and a decorator would be set for a while. BB Slipper Chairs @ Thomas Britt_thumb[1]Also at dinner was the fun and funny Michael Flanigan, one of the stars of Antiques Roadshow who told stories of life on the Roadshow… and life with the Roadshow roadies!

If you haven’t read Adam Lewis’s biographies of either Billy Baldwin or Van Day Truex, I would recommend them. And if you’ve not visited the BMA and their stellar collections, I also recommend those.

Thanks to Barbara who invited me to the lecture and to Stiles, who invited me to dinner. It was a great evening!

11 comments:

  1. Meg I can see this was an amazing event. That blue room, fabulous chandelier and bird prints, adore!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena`

    ReplyDelete
  2. Surely an informative and entertained evening!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Meg, you travel in some enviable circles!!! Obviously an event not to be missed! Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Meg, There is no "nice" way to say this: I am sooooooo jealous of your evening. Oh, to be a simple fly on the wall. thanks, Mary

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a fortunate Meg, you are + Sounds wonderful. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very interesting, but what has the blue lacquer room
    to do with Billy Baldwin, apart from the familiar
    slipper chair? Surely that is a Tom Britt interior?

    ReplyDelete
  7. It is a Tom Britt room, and it's in there for the use of the chairs. And because i was scrounging around my files to find another picture!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The museum looks fantastic if the furniture in the hall is an indication.Are all the pieces int he photo American?

    ReplyDelete
  9. SMR... it's a room in the BMA's American Wing and the event was for the Friends of the American Wing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. thanks for your reply, I got so excited I didnt read the text carefully enough

    ReplyDelete
  11. Man, I would LOVE to chat with Adam Lewis. I have two of his books.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for reading and commenting on Pigtown*Design. I read each and every comment and try to reply if I have your e-mail address.