Fred. W. (Frederick William) Burgess

Frederick William Burgess, who also published as Fred. W. Burgess, was a British art historian and writer born in 1855 and died in 1945. Library authority records identify him as a British art historian, and his books show a strong interest in decorative arts, antiques, and the pleasures of close looking.

He wrote accessible guides for readers curious about old objects and how to appreciate them. Confirmed titles associated with him include Chats on Household Curios, Chats on Old Copper and Brass, Antique Furniture, Antique Jewelry and Trinkets, and Old Prints and Engravings. Across these works, he returned again and again to the history, craftsmanship, and collecting of everyday treasures.

Burgess's appeal lies in the way he treated antiques not as dusty museum pieces, but as objects with character, use, and human history behind them. His books still attract readers interested in collecting and decorative arts, and several remain available through public-domain and reprint editions.