When is a Cupboard not a Cupboard?

We all know that a door is not a door when it’s ‘ajar’ but what is the answer to the question posed by this lecture title?  The answer will be revealed as the lecture explains how the ‘cup-board’ developed from its mediaeval origins as an open structure on which to display items to, by the 17^th century, one in which items could be stored or kept.  In addition to reviewing the constructional, design and decorative changes to cupboards over the years, reference will also be made to their socio-economic context.