An enduring myth of Georgian architecture is that it was purely the pursuit of male architects
and their wealthy male patrons. History states that it was men who owned grand estates and
houses who commissioned famous architects and who embarked upon elaborate architectural
schemes. Hidden Patrons dismantles this myth - revealing instead that women were at the heart
of the architectural patronage of the day exerting far more influence and agency than has
previously been recognised. Architectural drawing and design discourse and patronage were
interests shared by many women in the eighteenth century. Far from being the preserve of elite
men architecture was a passion shared by both sexes intellectually and practically as long
as they possessed sufficient wealth and autonomy. In an accessible readable account Hidden
Patrons uncovers the role of women as important patrons and designers of architecture and
interiors in eighteenth-century Britain and Ireland. Exploring country houses Georgian
townhouses villas estates and gardens it analyses female patronage from across the
architectural spectrum and examines the work of a range of pioneering women from grand
duchesses to businesswomen to lowly courtesans. Re-examining well-known Georgian masterpieces
alongside lesser-known architectural gems Hidden Patrons unearths unseen archival material to
provide a fascinating new view of the role of women in the architecture of the Georgian era.
