A CHARMING MEMOIR DEPICTING A LIFE OF STUNNING VARIETY, TOLD WITH WARMTH, HUMOUR AND ERUDITION

Both a chemist and an aficionado of the arts, John Mills embarks on a journey from the 50’s Soho scene to the furthest reaches of a waning British Empire and beyond

Born between the wars in leafy Guildford, John Mills entered into his prime in an era of expanding possibilities as the world opened up following the devastation of global conflict. A chemist by academic route, his passion for culture, music and art found an outlet as he submerged himself in a Soho artistic community boasting such names as Francis Bacon and Henrietta Moraes. Mills later developed a perfect synthesis between his twin passions of science and the arts, becoming a prominent figure and pioneer at The National Gallery in the Scientific Department and a connoisseur and academic on antique carpets. A lifelong obsession with travel began in earnest at 18 when, drafted into the National Service as a wireless mechanic, Mills oversaw the final throes of the British Empire in Singapore, Burma and Ceylon; he has lived and worked in Mexico and covered vast swathes of the world map witnessing the West Coast hippie revolution and Soviet Russia en route.

John Mills, born in 1928, has worked for a variety of companies as a chemist including The National Gallery and Syntex. He has contributed to exhibitions at the Hayward Gallery and the National Gallery with his academic work and edited several small publications. John lives on the Isle of Wight and in London.