Johnny Stuart (author)

John Spencer Innes Stuart, known as Johnny Stuart (20 May 1940 – 12 July 2003), was an author and expert on Russian art also known for his interest in the British motorcycling rocker movement. Stuart founded the Russian department at Sotheby's London auction house in 1976, developed it to its leading position in the market and was considered the leading expert in Russian art outside of Russia.[1]

Born to a farmer in Aberdeen, Stuart was educated at Eton College, converted to Russian Orthodoxy at the age of 18 and studied Slavonic Studies at St John's College, Cambridge.[2]

He co-curated an exhibition of Russian icons – "Gates of Mystery" – at London's Victoria & Albert Museum in 1990, and was an advisor for their 1994 "British Street Style" exhibition to which he loaned items from his collection.

In 1987, Stuart's book Rockers! was first published, a seminal account of the rocker movement. His knowledge of British youth culture made him a guru for actors and pop stars including the Rolling Stones, Oliver Tobias, George Michael, Gary Numan, Billy Idol, Brian Setzer, Paul Simonon and Kylie Minogue, many of whom he befriended.[3] Rockers! at one time "was reputedly the most shop-lifted book in London bookshops".[1]