author
H. Clifford (Harold Clifford) Smith
1876–1960
A museum scholar with a gift for making decorative arts feel vivid and approachable, he wrote widely on jewellery, furniture, and historic interiors. His books open a window onto the craftsmanship and collecting traditions behind some of Britain's best-known treasures.
1 Audiobook
Jewellery
by H. Clifford (Harold Clifford) Smith
About the author
Best known as H. Clifford Smith, Harold Clifford Smith was a British scholar of decorative arts born on July 7, 1876, and he later served as a Keeper at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington. His work centered on furniture, woodwork, historic interiors, and jewellery, and he built a reputation as a careful guide to the material culture of earlier centuries.
His best-known book for many modern readers is Jewellery, first published in the early 20th century and still widely reprinted. He also wrote and edited studies connected with the Victoria and Albert Museum, including volumes on English furniture and woodwork, and he authored Buckingham Palace: Its Furniture, Decoration & History, showing the same interest in design, craftsmanship, and the stories objects can tell.
Smith died on February 14, 1960. Though he wrote as a specialist, his books remain appealing because they combine scholarship with a clear enthusiasm for beautiful things made well.