Tonight, there was a party to celebrate the 75th. anniversary of the foundation of Thames & Hudson: a remarkable publishing house which contributed substantially to my – and my generation’s – art historical education. 

My first memory of Thames & Hudson books was big photographic books which my parents owned, including Martin Hürlimann’s book on English Cathedrals;  Michael Levey wrote Giotto to Cézanne, published in 1962;  I still use and refer to Kerry Downes’s Hawksmoor, published in the World of Art series in 1969.  They were accessible and affordable, illustrated throughout, unlike the posher books published by Phaidon. 

I also owe them two great debts of gratitude – for publishing my book on East London in 2017 and The Art Museum in Modern Times in 2021.