Charles Spencer organized the first London exhibition of Erte at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1965 and published the first monograph on the artist in 1970. It remains the authoritative study. The lecture illustrates the designer's Russian origins, his move to Paris, contributions to theatre in France and the USA, as well as Hollywood films, and his later phenomenal international fame.

Charles Spencer, the only remaining witness to these events, will deliver an intimate survey of Erte's life and the later developments.