The Soane Code
The much-anticipated book by Wedgwood collector and historian, Edward L. Knowles, has been published and may be found on Amazon. Fans of Wedgwood, Flaxman, and related 18th century figures will find this work of interest.
The Soane Code is an adventure into the world of Sir John Soane and his utopian vision of architecture and interior design and represents Ed’s personal discovery and journey visiting the Soane Museum in London, England, in 1987. He realized that Soane had created a complex code to tell his entire life’s story through the 18th century objects, architecture, and interior design of his museum. The book is a provocative biography revealing the bisexuality of Sir John Soane. At 18, he fell in love with John Flaxman, Jr., who would become Britain’s most famous sculptor and Wedgwood artist. Unlike other biographies of this famous architect, this book exposes many sexual secrets of his friends and family. The book provides a glimpse into LGBTQ life in 18th century Britain.
Ed Knowles is former director of interior design and architecture for Lockheed Martin Corp. and was a founding member and a past vice president of the Wedgwood Society of Washington, DC., as well as a board member of other related organizations. He is published and has lectured widely on the Wedgwood topic.
