Andrew Foyle tells the story of a remarkable gay couple and the museum they founded – the American Museum & Gardens at Claverton Manor, near Bath.
Dallas Pratt was the grandson of a US oil magnate with a thirst for learning and access to a vast fortune. John Judkyn was a middle-class Midlander, furniture restorer and antique dealer with impeccable taste. From their chance meeting in 1937 until John’s tragic early death their love and lives embodied a passion for collecting which inspired them to create the museum.
Andrew Foyle is a historian specialising in Bristol’s history, and a member of OutStories Bristol. Andrew co-curated Revealing Stories, Bristol’s first exhibition of LGBTQ history at Bristol’s M Shed Museum in 2013.
This talk was a collaboration between M Shed, the American Museum and Gardens, and OutStories Bristol.
Our thanks to the American Museum & Gardens for access to their archives and photographs, and to M Shed who hosted this online talk on 16th February 2022.