Although parts of Eltham Palace in Court Yard, off Court Road, SE9 are all that remains of Henry VIII’s boyhood home, the main building is very much a Deco shrine created by Virginia and Stephen Courtauld in the 1930s.
The fair will feature more than 30 Deco dealers and will be staged in the medieval Great Hall, which is the part familiar to Henry VIII. All that separates the Hall from the Deco mansion, which retains most of its original 1930s features, is a sliding screen.
A whole range of Deco objects will be offered and additional fields covered this year are lighting, posters and prints. Among those signed up are Caswell’s 20th Century Furniture from Yorkshire, The Design Gallery 1850-1950 from Kent, and local dealers Eltham Collectables with Bakelite and jewellery.
Eltham Palace is administered by English Heritage, the government body which looks after historic properties, and the fair seems a useful way of raising funds. Admission is £8.
Deco fair finds its natural setting
FOLLOWING last year’s successful launch there will be a second Art Deco Fair on Sunday, May 16 at Eltham Palace in South East London.
