Simon Houfe, the art historian, journalist and author, has died aged 83. His friend and colleague confirmed the death, noting that his originality and enthusiasm enriched the lives of countless people. Houfe was known for his magnum opus, The Dictionary of British Book Illustrators and Caricaturists 1800-1914, published in 1978, which was the first major survey on the subject.
Career and Early Life
Born in Bedford, Simon was the only child of Eric Houfe, an architect, and Kathleen (nee Richardson). After attending Stowe school in Buckinghamshire and a spell in Italy, he spent three years in the V&A’s prints and drawings department before starting his editorial and writing career. He had been expected to become an architect like his maternal grandfather, Professor Sir Albert Richardson, president of the Royal Academy, in whose remarkable home, Avenue House, Ampthill, in Bedfordshire, Simon lived for most of his life.
Instead, he became editor of the Antique Collector from 1970 to 1974 and subsequently contributed articles to magazines including Country Life and Apollo, and wrote nine books. His biography of Richardson, The Professor (1980), was a highly entertaining account detailing his work as an architect and teacher but also his eccentricities and zest for life. Simon also wrote on the county of his birth, Bedfordshire, and contributed many articles to the Bedfordshire Magazine.
Avenue House and Preservation Efforts
His grandfather had furnished Avenue House with an outstanding collection of Georgian and other fine arts that Simon augmented, notably with rare books and works by 19th-century illustrators. He took pleasure in showing guests around his home and to friends his latest finds, a painting, book or piece of porcelain. Simon was also very much involved in the Ampthill and District Preservation Society, organising lectures by interesting speakers, and giving talks himself.
Simon had always hoped that the National Trust would take over ownership of Avenue House. However, after years of deliberations, it was not to be, and Simon had to sell almost the entire collection and the house. As Private Eye stated in 2013: “If any property, complete with furniture and contents, qualified for being preserved and opened to the public for the benefit of the nation, it was surely the home of the late Sir Albert Richardson.”
Legacy and Final Years
A film was made of Simon giving a guided tour of Avenue House, while the fully illustrated Christie’s catalogue, to which he contributed extensive historical detail, remains an invaluable work of reference. He helped to nurture the careers of many young people, encouraging and supporting artistic interests and projects and sharing his passion for collecting and the importance of living with pictures. He had a wonderful memory for detail and his daily journal gives a vivid picture of the people he met and the times in which he lived.
In 2020, he was added to Ampthill’s community roll of honour in recognition of his lifelong service to the town he so loved. Simon moved to a small property in Ampthill, designed by his grandfather, and finally enjoyed the comfort of a warm house. His Christian faith sustained him.
