Curt DiCamillo’s A British Country House Alphabet: A Historical & Pictorial Journey is a new series of three volumes that will enchant seasoned country house visitors—and amaze those new to art and architecture—as they read about surprising snippets of history that occurred at, or because of, country houses in England, Scotland, or Wales.
The series uses the alphabet to frame the astonishing variety of material, with the first volume covering letters “A” through “H.” Each volume contains fascinating content and beautiful illustrations, presenting famous historical events or cultural innovations that are associated with specific British country houses. The engaging—and often humorous—text is the manifestation of DiCamillo’s long-standing love of the British country house, which has served as a stage and backdrop to a host of beguiling stories.
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Curt is an American architectural historian and a recognized authority on the British country house. He has written, lectured, and taught in the U.S. and abroad on British history and leads scholarly tours that focus on the architectural and artistic heritage of Britain and its influence around the world. Since 1999 Curt has maintained an award-winning database on the web, TheDiCamillo.com, which seeks to document every English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish country house ever built, standing or demolished, together with a history of the families who lived in the houses, the architects who designed them, and the history of the houses’ collections and gardens.In recognition of his work Curt has been presented to the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and King Charles III. He is an alumnus of both the Royal Collection Studies program and The Attingham Summer School for the Study of Historic Houses and Collections. In addition, Curt is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, is listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the World, and a member of the Council of the American Museum in Britain.
Curt is the Curator of Fine Art at American Ancestors in Boston, the largest genealogical society in the world. Previously, he served for nine years as Executive Director of The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA, based in Boston, where he was responsible for raising over $7 million for the Trust (he currently holds the position of Executive Director Emeritus). Before that Curt worked for 13 years for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A native of the Philadelphia area, he grew up in Central Florida with his sister, the award-winning children’s book author Kate DiCamillo.
