occupation martin postle
The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art is a scholarly centre in London devoted to supporting original ___MASK15___ into the history of British Art . It was founded in 1970 and endowed by a gift from Paul Mellon . Since 1996 , it has been situated at 16 Bedford Square in a Grade I listed building . This building houses an outstanding library of 26 , 000 publications focused on British art and ___MASK53___ , and over 25 collected archives which include papers of eminent art historians such as Ellis K Waterhouse , Oliver Millar and Brinsley Ford . It also holds the records of its own institutional archives , including a growing oral history collection . The centre compiled its own photographic archive from 1970 - 1996 and now also holds the Tate photographic archive . All of these ___MASK15___ collections are available to consult in the Centre ' s Public Study Room . Dr . Martin Postle serves as the assistant ___MASK50___ of the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art , London , and is an expert on Sir Joshua Reynolds . He is also an author and former curator at the Tate Collection . Paul Mellon ( June 11 , 1907  February 1 , 1999 ) was an American ___MASK68___ and an owner / breeder of thoroughbred racehorses . He is one of only five people ever designated an " Exemplar of Racing " by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame . He was co - heir to one of America ' s greatest business fortunes , derived from the Mellon Bank created by his grandfather Thomas Mellon , his father Andrew W . Mellon , and his father ' s brother Richard B . Mellon . In 1957 , when " Fortune " prepared its first list of the wealthiest Americans , it estimated that Paul Mellon , his sister Ailsa Mellon - Bruce , and his cousins Sarah Mellon and Richard King Mellon , were all among the richest eight people in the United States , with fortunes of between 400 and 700 million dollars each ( around $ and $ in today ' s dollars ). Sir Oliver Nicholas Millar ( 26 April 1923  10 May 2007 ) was a British ___MASK77___ . He was an expert on 17th - century British painting , and a leading authority on Anthony van Dyck in particular . He served in the Royal Household for 41 years from 1947 , becoming Surveyor of The Queen ' s Pictures in 1972 . He was the first Director of the Royal Collection from 1987 . He served in both offices until his retirement in 1988 . Built between 1775 and 1783 as an upper middle class residential area , the square has had many distinguished residents , including Lord Eldon , one of Britain ' s longest serving and most celebrated Lord Chancellors , who lived in the largest house in the square for many years . The square takes its name from the main title of the Russell family , the Dukes of Bedford , who owned much of the land in what is now Bloomsbury . Bedford Square is one of the best preserved set pieces of Georgian ___MASK53___ in London , but most of the houses have now been converted into offices . Numbers 1 - 10 , 11 , 12  27 , 28  38 and 40  54 are grade I listed buildings . The central garden remains private . Bedford College , the first place for female higher education in Britain , was formerly located in ( and named after ) Bedford Square . London is the capital and most populous city of England and the ___MASK55___ , as well as the most populous city proper in the European Union . Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain , London has been a ___MASK32___ settlement for two millennia . It was founded by the Romans , who named it " Londinium ". London ' s ancient core , the City of London , largely retains its medieval boundaries . Since at least the 19th century , " London " has also referred to the metropolis around this core , historically split between Middlesex , Essex , Surrey , Kent , and Hertfordshire , which today largely makes up Greater London , governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly .