Horace Walpole

Horace Walpole (1717-97) was born in an aristocratic family – in fact, his father became the first Prime Minister of Britain. Walpole was primarily known for his Gothic extravaganza. Strawberry Hill was a place he owned and redesigned over a period of time to resemble a medieval fortress. He also established a printing press on the grounds where his most acclaimed work and the first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, was printed in 1764. Walpole's style combined medieval tradition with the...