Picker House is a remarkable late 1960s modernist home specifically designed to accommodate a superb collection of modern and contemporary painting and sculpture. Situated on the outskirts of London, in Kingston upon Thames, it is a rare surviving example of a spacious and progressive late modern house and garden that remains unaltered. Designed by the British modernist architect Kenneth Wood in 1965, it still retains its period interior décor, contemporary furnishings acquired through the then recently established Terence Conran Group, and the distinctive art collection of its owner – including works by Chagall, Frink, Hepworth, Lowry, Rodin and many more – which was an integral part of its conception. Based on previously unpublished material and photographs, this heavily illustrated publication brings together leading researchers in their respective fields who examine in depth every aspect of this unique place.Picker was a New York born cosmetic manufacturer who settled in London in 1936. He made his wealth in the 1960s through Gala Cosmetics, launching his new brands Miners, Outdoor Girl and Mary Quant. This book offers a complete investigation into the architecture and design of Picker House, its interior furnishings and décor, the Japanese inspired landscaped gardens and Pickers significant modern and contemporary art collection of paintings, drawings and prints and sculpture. It concludes with a glimpse of the ongoing life of the collection and of Pickers Fellowship legacy through the recent work of artist Elizabeth Price and designer Ab Rogers, amongst others.
