Harriet Bridgeman

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Victoria Harriet Lucy Bridgeman, Viscountess Bridgeman (born 1942) is the founder of the Bridgeman Art Library, which encompasses the world's largest collection of fine art images^[1].

Born Harriet Turton to Ralph Meredyth Turton and Mary Blanche Chetwynd-Stapylton in County Durham, England, she is one of four daughters. Throughout her early youth, she was educated at home by a governess, under the Parents' National Educational Union System. She then attended St Mary's School in Wantage, Berkshire, and Trinity College, Dublin, where she earned a Master of Arts in the History of Art. During this time she worked as an editorial trainee with The Lady magazine.

In 1966, she married Robin Bridgeman, the third Viscount of that name, resulting in a family of four sons, including Luke Bridgeman, the heir apparent to his father's titles. Continuing with her passion for writing, she edited a series entitled Discovering Antiques and a weekly monograph called The Masters. Works such as The Encyclopaedia of Victoriana and The British Eccentric are some of the many books written, edited, and co-authored by Lady Bridgeman.

During her time as an editor and author, she discovered the need for easier access to illustrations of works of art. There was no central and convenient way to obtain colour transparencies or black and white prints other than by going from museum to museum. The concept of the Bridgeman Art Library emerged in 1972 and developed to allow users to access thousands of images. The library has now offices in Germany, France, England, and the United States, however Lady Bridgeman continues to travel internationally in order to support the development of collections and the access to arts generally. Through her endeavours, she was recognized in 1997 when she was awarded the European Woman of Achievement Award in the Arts and in 2005 when she received the International Business Woman of the Year.