Live Broadcast: December 19, 2025
Presented by: Curt DiCamillo
Running Time: 01:18:38
You will have access to this recording for the foreseeable future.
Dr. Johnson’s famous 18th-century quote, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford,” could still be applied to 20th-century London. By the 1920s the magnificent metropolis that began as the Roman provincial town of Londonium was the most dynamic city on the planet and the capital of the largest empire the world had ever seen. From the most extraordinary department stores on the globe—Harrods and Selfridge’s—to an unsurpassed theater scene, from Mary Poppins and the Bloomsbury Group to George Orwell, London was bubbling over with dynamic writers, the greatest museums on the planet, and never-ending royal pomp and scandal. But the century also saw the destruction of some of the most beautiful townhouses ever built, as aristocratic fortunes waned and London property values soared. All of these themes and more will be brought together in this architecturally focused lecture about one of planet’s most astonishing cities during the most turbulent century in world history.
About the Speaker
Curt DiCamillo, who joined American Ancestors in February of 2016 as the organization’s first Curator of Special Collections, is an internationally recognized authority on British historic houses and the decorative arts (his award-winning website on British country houses can be found here: TheDiCamillo.com). Before coming to American Ancestors, Curt was the Executive Director of The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA, where he successfully raised more than $7 million and initiated many innovative programs. As Curator of Special Collections, he provides strategic direction for organizing and exhibiting our extensive collection of fine art and family history-related artifacts, leads the Society’s Heritage Tours, and provides educational outreach through American Ancestors' extensive webinar series. In recognition of his work, Curt has been presented to the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and The Prince of Wales. He is an alumnus of the Royal Collection Studies program, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a member of the Council of the American Museum in Britain. Curt’s book, Villa Astor: Paradise Restored on the Amalfi Coast, was published in 2017 by Flammarion. He is also the brother of the award-winning author Kate DiCamillo, something of which he’s extraordinarily proud.
Other Resources
Curt DiCamillo's Country House Database
Pronunciation Guide
Historic Houses Website