British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship Award holder named Ideal Home Show Historian

British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship award holder Dr Deborah Sugg Ryan, Senior Lecturer Histories and Theories of Design at Falmouth University, has been named Ideal Home Show Historian. 

Dr Sugg Ryan is working with Ideal Home Show owners, Media-10 as part of a knowledge exchange project - disseminating her work to visitors at the show. Lee Newton, CEO of Media-10 said: "On the day we first took charge we were handed Deborah's fantastic book which really gave us a sense of the history and importance of what we had bought. In actual fact, it helped us to understand that more than just buying a business we had become the guardians of a great British tradition. We are delighted to be in regular contact with Dr Sugg Ryan, working with her over 2012-13 and beyond. It is wonderful that with the support of the British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship award that we can further investigate and explore the rich history of the Ideal Home Show, dating back to 1908." 

Dr Sugg Ryan's research, 'Ideal' Homes: Design, Architecture and Suburban Modernity in England, 1908-2014', explores the architecture, design and decoration of the 'ideal' home. It draws on and extends Deborah's research on the Ideal Home Show. Dr Sugg Ryan says, "Founded in 1908, the Ideal Home Show is the oldest and longest continuously running commercial exhibition aimed at the public in the world. Its history gives an unrivaled insight into the public's taste in architecture, design and all matters that make a house a home."

Dr Sugg Ryan's research on the Ideal Home Show will result in a revised version of her book on the Ideal Home Show, updated to include a discussion of the representation of the sustainable home in the 2000s. She is also writing a book on the inter-war home for Manchester University Press. Both books will be published in 2014.
 
Dr Deborah Sugg Ryan, Senior Lecturer Histories and Theories of Design at Falmouth University, was awarded a British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship in 2012-13.

To find out more about Deborah's research click here.