Having studied History and History of Art at Cambridge and then Yale, I received my PhD from University College London for my thesis about the intersection of antiquarianism and architectural thought in the seventeenth century, in particular perceptions of medieval buildings. 

In my post-doctoral incarnation I worked at Trinity College Dublin before joining English Heritage as an Architectural Investigator and the Survey of London as an Historian. 

Since 2014 I've worked at the Victoria and Albert Museum where I am Senior Curator of Architecture and Design and V&A Lead Curator for the V&A+RIBA Architecture Partnership.

My love of history and buildings began when I was growing up in Greenwich. In the evenings, my father would take me on walks to explore the streets.

The best time was at early dusk; after people had switched on their lights but before they had drawn the curtains closed. Together, my father and I snooped, spotting ceiling roses and cornices, door surrounds and decorations. 

In this way, I discovered that houses and interiors were full of hidden histories. Finding the stories and meanings embodied in things continues to draw me;  towards objects, through archives, into the past and back again. 


 
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