Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation

15th Anniversary Gala Dinner in New York – THE SINGULAR SIR JOHN SOANE:

The singular Sir John shone bright this night as over 300 architects, designers, writers, art collectors, Anglophiles and friends gathered to celebrate not just the man and those he has inspired through his work, but also the amazing legacy he left in the creation of the Museum that bears his name and contains some of the most extraordinary treasures in the city of London.

This 15th Anniversary of Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation was held in the presence of one of England’s most accomplished contemporary designers, Viscount Linley (David A. C. Armstrong Jones). He was joined by her Majesty’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir David Manning, who with his wife, Lady Catherine Manning, served as Honorary Gala Chairs.

15th Anniversary Gala Dinner Program Booklet

Click Images for a Larger View - Photos by Matthew Gillis Photography

Museum Director Tim Knox, British Ambassador Sir David Manning, Foundation President Chippy Irvine

Anthony Ingao and David Linley

Viscount Linley conversing with Tom Kligerman

Distinguished guests included Tim Knox, the new Director of Sir John Soane’s Museum in London, and Samuel C. Miller, Cyndy Spurdle, Robert A. Silver and Susan P. Magee, Gala Chair, all of whom are among the original founders of the Foundation. Also with us were Gala Underwriter Anthony Ingrao, Deputy Consul-General John Benjamin, Michael Graves, Richard Driehaus, George McNeely, Robert A. M. Stern, Richard Feigen, Louis Bofferding, Alison Gowman, Alexa Hampton, Matthew Patrick Smyth, Robert Ivy, Melinda Papp, Susan Henshaw Jones, Dale Stott Cunningham, Debby Brice, Britt Tidelius, Jean and Raymond Troubh, Joan K. Davidson, James Druckman, Miguel Flores-Vianna, Mark Gilbertson, Mercedes Mestre and Pedro Bonachea, Jeffrey Simpson, Peter Pennoyer and Katie Rider, Charlotte Moss, Keith Irvine, Mario Buatta, Jan and Marcia Vilcek, Johnnie Moore and Ashton Hawkins, Michael LaRocca, Inge Heckel, Nancy Richardson, Robin Miller, Robert Couturier, Vincente Wolf, to name a few.

Stephanie Stokes, Anthony Ingrao and Stathis Andris

Randy Kemper and friend

Blaire and Alistair Clark
and Melissa Gagen of Christies

Held at the new Mandarin Oriental Hotel on the 36th floor of the TimeWarner Center, guests enjoyed spectacular evening views overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park. While there was a serious side to the evening with speeches by Foundation President Chippy Irvine and Museum Director Tim Knox, a Conversational Chat between Viscount Linley and Tim Knox on Linley’s work, the announcement by American Architectural Foundation’s President Ronald E. Bogle of the newly sponsored Traveling Fellowship... there was also the lighthearted side with dancing to the tunes of DJ Andy Anderson until the house lights had to go up signaling the end to the night.

Bob Silver, Kathy Springhorn, Remmel Dickinson and Rosetta Miller

Duncan Darrow, Stephen Drucker and Frank Newbold

Barbara Pine and Patti Matson

The evening was the largest gathering of Soanians on these shores ever. The Foundation, through the support of so many, has now been able to make a significant new grant to the Museum. Monies raised from this event will support the work of the Foundation, as well as the Museum’s work on the final planning stages of the $3 million restoration program for No. 14 Lincoln's Inn Fields, the recently acquired Soane building known as “The House Next Door.” The restoration of No.14 will allow the Museum to expand its facilities, which will include the creation of a dedicated Architectural Model Gallery and a Robert Adam Study Centre. Since the founding of the Foundation in 1991, we have provided more than $600,000 in support to the Museum for various projects.

Planning has already started for the next Gala dinner, which will be held on April 25, 2007 at the incomparable Rainbow Room. We hope you’ll wish to join us again...

Barry Bergdoll with Kathryn Berry, Robert Ivy and Sam White

Debby Brice

David Linley with Bob Silver

Jane Havemeyer and Gala Chair Susie Magee

Anthony Ingrao, Bob Israel and Fred Imberman

Fred Knootz, Walter Kaiser, Jamie Gibbs and Debby Brice

Susan Tane and Birch Coffey

Joan K. Davidson, Museum Director Tim Knox and Cyndy Spurdle

Robert A. M. Stern

Michael Graves

Wendy Moonan and Connie Shuman

Tom Kligerman and Lucy Day

Frances Schultz and Katie Rider

Anne Ingelbrink and Jeremy Garfield-Davis

Kathy Springhorn, Remmel Dickinson and Susie Magee

Mitchell Owen, Charlotte Moss and Cyndy Spurdle

Suzanne Stephens, Barbara Pine, Alex Gorlin and Robert Ivy

Lucy and Nat Day with David Linley

Jane Gaillard, Museum Director Tim Knox, Jane Havemeyer and Alison Gowman

Ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental awaits guests

Fabulous centerpieces topped with a model of Soane’s lantern tower on the Dulwich Picture Gallery adapted from designs by Fairfax and Sammons and with flowers done in collaboration with Fleurisa.

Close up of table setting, here the starter course

Foundation President Chippy Irvine welcomes all

Sir David Manning, British Ambassador to the United States

American Architectural Foundation’s Ronald E. Bogle announcing a new jointly support Soane Traveling Fellowship

Museum Director Tim Knox wraps up the talks

Guests seated in the Ballroom

The Board of Directors of Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation would like to express a special note of appreciation to the following who help to make the evening possible

Special Creative Services

Balmer Architectural Mouldings: Table centerpiece models donated and printed by Balmer Architectural Mouldings in 3-D gypsum, from drawings by Fairfax & Sammons, based on a design by Sir John Soane for the Dulwich Picture Gallery.

Fairfax & Sammons: Thanks go to Richard Sammons, Anne Farifax and Aida Della Longa for their vision and support, and to Isabelle Bosquet-Morra of Fleurisa for the centerpiece collaboration.

Robert Van Nutt: Designer of the invitation and program cover. The invitation design by Robert Van Nutt was based on a rendering of Soane’s facade of No. 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, c.1812 and a model in the Museum’s collection. The column design is inspired by those on the great model stand at the Museum.

Special thanks to the contributors to our gift bags this evening:

British Consulate, New York
Farrow & Ball
Lulu Guinness
Sir John Soane’s Museum