A Brief Bio on Curt

Curt DiCamillo is an American architectural historian and a recognized authority on the British country house. He has written, lectured, and taught in the U.S. and abroad on British history and architecture and leads scholarly tours that focus on the architectural and artistic heritage of Britain and its influence around the world. Since 1999 Curt has maintained an award-winning database on the web, The DiCamillo Database of British & Irish Country Houses (which you’re looking at right now!), which seeks to document every English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish country house ever built, standing or demolished, together with a history of the families who lived in the houses, the architects who designed them, and the history of the houses’ collections and gardens.

In recognition of his work, Curt has been presented to the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and The Prince of Wales. He is a member of The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain and is an alumnus of both the Royal Collection Studies program and The Attingham Summer School for the Study of Historic Houses and Collections. In addition, Curt is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, is listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the World, is a Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and a member of the Council of the American Museum in Britain.

Curt is the Curator for Special Collections at the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston, the largest and oldest genealogical society in the world. Previously, he served for nine years as Executive Director of The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA, based in Boston, where he was responsible for raising over $7 million for the Trust (he currently holds the position of Executive Director Emeritus). Before that Curt worked for 13 years for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A native of the Philadelphia area, he grew up in Central Florida with his sister, the award-winning children’s book author Kate DiCamillo.

Robert Adam's Sculpture Gallery at Newby Hall in Yorkshire puts Curt into a state of ecstasy

Curt on a double-decker London bus during his first trip to Britain in 1984

Curt lecturing at WGBH for the "Masterpiece" Downton Abbey gala, December 2013.

Curt on the top of the Arc de Triomphe in 1985, during his first visit to Paris.

Curt being presented to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, St. James’s Palace, London, May 23, 2001.

Leslie and Curt during the first tour to Shropshire, May 2012.

Curt in 1985 in the Grand Court at John Wanamaker, Philadelphia, one of the most beautiful department stores in America.

Kate, Oona the Airedale, and Curt on the Main Line in 1967.

If you’d like to see past editions of Curt’s “One of my favorite things” email series, click here.