A Life in Pictures

I'm very impressed,' says Viscountess Bridgeman as she leafs through the latest copy of The Lady. 'There are jolly good articles that are of interest to anybody. It's delightful.' Not only is Lady Bridgeman the founder of the Bridgeman Art Library, and the 2005 International Business Woman Of The Year, but she is also highly qualified to appraise this magazine, having commenced her career here almost 40 years ago.

'It was my first job,' she explains. 'It was a nice, respectable and safe magazine, but the offices were rather like a doctor's waiting room. The trouble is, when you're 22, you tend to think you're an interesting bohemian and don't like to associate too much withdoctors' waiting rooms. But I was very glad to have it,' she chuckles.

Having read English at Trinity College in Dublin, it was a natural progression to embark upon a journalistic career. She reminisces: 'I was an editorial assistant. The editor, Miss Whitford, was marvellous. I used to sit in her office and she took a lot of trouble with me. I learnt everything about editing and proofreading from her.'

The eminent Margaret Whitford, editor for 18 years, worked at The Lady at the same time as Stella Gibbons. 'Miss Whitford said it was a nightmare when she was first appointed,' Lady Bridgeman reveals. 'Stella Gibbons had been so busy writing Cold Comfort Farm that there were waste-paper baskets full of manuscripts that had to be waded through.'

Along with editing and proofreading, her early working days were filled with 'cups of tea and other wonderful rituals', as well as the occasional reporting job. 'I was sent to cover Vidal Sassoon's wedding for the social column. I remember I didn't like the idea of going to a wedding that I hadn't been asked to as a friend, but it was extraordinary.'

From The Lady, the talented young Lady Bridgeman was handpicked to go and edit the weekly monograph The Masters, followed by a new magazine, Discovering Antiques. 'Miss Whitford said it was a nuisance that I was leaving, but she insisted that I seize the opportunity. She was immensely generous.'

It was while she was producing the weekly Discovering Antiques that the idea for the Bridgeman Art Library came to fruition. 'One was painfully aware we were really under pressure, and it was incredibly difficult to get images quickly. Picture researchers' address books were like gold dust.'

Lady Bridgeman rather humbly states that the Art Library 'was a pretty elementary idea,' in that it aims to act as a one-stop-shop for images. In many ways, the concept pre-empted the internet, in that it acts as a central database. There are thousands of images on file from an enormous range of artists and sources, all copyrighted and ready for sharing.

'We've got most of the top private collections in England,' she beams. 'We have Chatsworth, Arundel and Blenheim.' The Bridgeman Art Library also represents the vast majority of museums and galleries – in one exhibition at the Royal Academy, for example, Lady Bridgeman calculated that they had 97 per cent of the images on file.

'We seem to do well because we're providing a need,' she explains. The museum, artist or owner benefits from the profit generated by an image. 'And museums need all the help they can get now the Government is withdrawing funding.'

This softly spoken lady is eternally fascinated by her work, art being 'one of the great pleasures of my life'. The walls of her eclectic office are lined with beautiful pieces: a sketch of Virginia Woolf, an atmospheric portrait by Duncan Grant and – interestingly – a pair of women's knickers, vibrantly painted. 'That's a Peter Blake,' she laughs. 'Every year The Chelsea Arts Club has a sale to raise money for charity, and a lot of artists get involved. Those knickers were Sir Peter Blake's contribution. I think it's the only piece of his that I could ever afford – I even had a man from Zurich bidding against me!'

A keen collector herself, does she have a favourite work of art? 'There's so much I love, it would be ridiculous to try to choose from such a vast panorama.' She does, though, have special affection for pieces she comes across unexpectedly. 'I went to the Ukraine and discovered there was a whole school of Impressionists there, which I'm sure nobody outside the Ukraine knows about.'

As well as immersing herself in art, her line of work has enabled her 'to deal, to some extent, with living legends'. She recalls a time, not too long ago, when she was travelling back from Paris with Lucian Freud. 'We were on the train and he was drinking a cup of tea. I remarked that I didn't have him down as a tea drinker and he said, "Well no. Of course I'd rather be drinking wine!''' The late Freud was a good friend and a keen supporter of the Bridgeman Art Library, regularly attending its feted summer party.

The library continues to grow, prospering with developments in technology. 'The internet has been a marvellous help.' I comment that she must be proud to have created such a legacy. 'Well,' she muses, 'What I'm most proud of is the number of people I've been able to help. Jonathan Cape from Penguin remarked the other day that he couldn't imagine how they did their book covers before Bridgeman. It's nice to think one has been a bit useful.'

From The Lady to the library, Lady Bridgeman has always made a point of doing something she enjoys. 'One's very lucky,' she enthuses. 'It's been a wonderful way of life: to travel, meet people and see marvellous pictures.'

Bridgeman Art Library, 17-19 Garway Road, London W2: 020-7727 4065, www.bridgemanart.com