John Holt

John Holt

freelance writer

Best in show | Rudolf Nureyev, 1964, by Jane Bown

This portrait of the Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, on display at Newlands House Gallery, showcases the photographer's intimate style

Best in show | Oak Passage, 2025, by Andy Goldsworthy

This monumental piece, created from windfallen oak, brings a feel of the outdoors to the Royal Scottish Academy

Save our buildings

John Holt talks to campaigners who are working towards the rescue of four very different at-risk buildings that have a special place in the hearts of their communities

Going solo | The museum workers singlehandedly holding the fort

Curators and managers who are the sole museum professionals in their institution tell John Holt about the pros and cons of going it alone

Best in show | Coat, 1937, by Cecil Beaton

This whimsical garment epitomises the legendary fashion designer's obsession with gardening, now explored in a new exhibition at the Garden Museum

Dangerous ground | Telling the stories of historic battlefields

The battles fought in Britain have made us who we are today. John Holt talks to those who interpret these sites of conflict for modern audiences

Best in show | Upnor Castle, Kent, 1831-32, by JMW Turner

You can feel the summer heat in this painting from the Whitworth’s latest exhibition, says curator Imogen Holmes-Roe

Museums on a rescue mission

John Holt meets the curators who run museums dedicated to the emergency services, and discovers the stories of early crime-fighters as well as of those who have braved the perils of the sea, rivers and fire to rescue and protect others

Best in Show | Et in Arcadia Ego, 1976, by Ian Hamilton Finlay (with John Andrew)

Kirstie Meehan chooses her highlight from a new show at the National Galleries Scotland: Modern Two

Best in show | Advertisement for Bovril, 1930s, Museum of Brands, London

An exhibit that captures the era when depictions of women in advertising were starting to change

Fit for a king | What it’s really like to work in a castle museum

Many of the castles that tower above our towns and cities have been turned into museums. John Holt talks to the people who manage them about designer downspouts, terracotta images of dictators and things that go bump in the night

Best in show | Pink Spread, 1986, by Mali Morris

Light, space and colour interact in this vibrant work on display in Newcastle University’s Hatton Gallery