Stanley Milsted was an accountant from East Barnet. He died in 1966, aged 88. What his connection is with Knebworth is a mystery. However, through him – and the thoughtful and kind donation of Neil Olsen, the son of Stanley’s neighbour – our Archive now holds a fabulous collection of glass slides of Knebworth in the 1890s. There are images of Park Lane before it was paved, various early houses, the station, a wedding at St Mary’s Church, and of course lots of images of Knebworth House and Park. Some of the slides have been beautifully hand-coloured. All are a fascinating glimpse into the past.
Two of the slides show the Garden Front of Knebworth House, and their surfacing is particularly serendipitous this week as they show the central west elevation beasts that, also this week, have been restored to their battlement posts for the first time in as long as anyone can remember. Beautifully sculpted in Newmarket by Spectrum Stone, they represent the most visible element of the current restoration project (half of phase 6 of 10) that, more crucially, is about securing the roof behind and beneath them. Perhaps we should call the two with angel wings Stanley and Neil?
Henry Lytton Cobbold
www.knebworthhouse.com