
We were delighted to launch our latest publication, The Arab Hall, Frederic Leighton: Traveller and Collector by Melanie Gibson on March 18 2026.
The event was held at Leighton House itself, in conjunction with the exhibition Leighton House: Past and Present, which marks the centenary anniversary of the opening of the house as a public museum.
The launch was marked by speeches from the author, Melanie Gibson as well as Daniel Robbins, Senior Curator of the Leighton House Museum.
The book is the first-ever account of the making of the Arab Hall at Leighton House, by reputation, the ‘most beautiful room in London’.
Melanie Gibson, BA (Oxon) MA, PhD (SOAS, London University) is a well-known authority on Middle Eastern ceramics, writing and lecturing on them worldwide. A Council Member of the Oriental Ceramic Society, she is also a Trustee of the Al-Tajir Trust, and a Trustee of the Friends of Leighton House, where she first became fascinated by the history behind the creation of the Arab Hall.
The Arab Hall is available to order: https://www.gingko.org.uk/publishing/books/the-arab-hall-frederic-leighton-traveller-and-collector/