And So To Bed… (Pepys, 20 April 1660)

This lecture traces the significance and use of  beds from the medieval period through to the 18^th century both in terms of their association with the highest level of society as expressed through the great “State Beds” and also the history of their construction, decoration and the, often costly,  textiles associated with them. The significance of beds through the ages can be judged by the prominence given to them in wills and inventories – Shakespeare, in his will, left his wife Anne “my second best bed” – and modern day audiences may be surprised to learn that in times gone by, married or single, rich or poor, one never slept alone…