Éilis Brito and Emilia Osztafi completed a curatorial micro-internship with the Charterhouse in December 2024. Their research focused on the archival analysis of scrapbooks and diaries relating to the twentieth century architects, Seely and Paget.
In February 1958, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the restored Charterhouse in London, touring the Great Chamber and comparing its transformation with photographs taken after the Blitz. The diary entry of John Seely and Paul Paget, the architectural partners responsible for the restoration, for 12th February reads: ‘3pm H.M. the Queen at Charterhouse’. The royal visit marked a milestone in the site’s restoration, symbolising its return to prominence in London’s cultural landscape. For John Seely and Paul Paget, it was a crowning moment in their effort to revive this historic landmark. The following Monday, the diary tells us there was a cocktail party in the Governors’ Room. The Charterhouse was finally re-established in glamorous London circles.
As part of our internship, we explored the diaries and scrapbooks Seely and Paget left behind. We sought to unravel the story behind their work and the vibrant network of collaborators that made the restoration possible. The diaries shine a light on figures like Audrey Russell (1906-89), the BBC’s first female news reporter, who visited the Charterhouse on 11th September 1956 for a radio broadcast: ‘1.40 B.B.C. Talk re Charterhouse [with] Audrey Russell’. Known for her role as a war correspondent, Russell’s distinctive voice carried the story of the Charterhouse’s revival to a national audience. Her involvement, along with that of Ethel Bright-Ashford (1883-1980) – one of the first women barristers who appears in the diaries during meetings about the Charterhouse – reveals the vital contributions of women in shaping the site’s legacy.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, there was a renewed emphasis on tradition, and the 1956 Founder’s Day at the Charterhouse epitomised this. Commemorating Thomas Sutton, founder of the charity in 1611, Founder’s Day had been celebrated annually for centuries, and on 12th December 1956, it was celebrated again for the first time since the war: ‘Charterhouse Founder’s Day […] 6.p.m. Charterhouse – Chapel Service. Evening dress. 7–7:30 Dinner’. As The Times reported a week earlier, ‘The Charterhouse, once described as the most beautiful and most venerable monument of old London, is gradually regaining its accustomed place in the life of London”.
The diaries reveal not only grand milestones but also the human moments behind the project. On 6th July 1959, as the restoration neared completion, an entry captures the humour of the process: ‘P.E.P. [Paul Edward Paget] does not propose to attend [a meeting] unless summoned’. Beneath this, Seely adds, ‘but M. [Lord Mottistone, i.e. John Seely] will go’. These glimpses provide an intimate insight into the living people behind this restoration.
Seely and Paget’s diaries are more than just an architectural record; they reveal a story of resilience, creativity, and collaboration. From royal visits and radio features to elegant cocktail parties, these documents bring to life the human side of the Charterhouse’s restoration. As we continue to delve into these archives, we uncover not only the technical details of their work but also the personal stories that shaped the Charterhouse as we know it today.
Éilis Brito is a second-year student reading History and French at The Queen’s College, with a particular interest in how historical narratives shape and are shaped by literary forms, especially in the context of 20th century France.
Emilia Osztafi is a final-year English student at Wadham College, Oxford, with an interest in medieval material culture and the history of the book.