John Jones

John Jones (c. 1798/1799 – 7 January 1882) was a British art collector. He bequeathed his collection to the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum). The collection is considered significant for its holdings of 18th-century French decorative arts.

Early life Jones was born in Middlesex. He later settled in London, becoming a tailor and clothier for the British Army. After amassing considerable wealth, he retired from business in 1850. He then devoted himself to collecting objets d'art, mostly French, which he displayed in his house in Piccadilly.

The collection contains about 780 books and 1,034 other items, including 313 prints, 105 paintings, 137 portrait miniatures, 147 pieces of porcelain, and 135 pieces of furniture. It includes the first three Shakespeare folios as well as works by leading 18th-century French cabinet-makers, including Jean-François Oeben, Martin Carlin, Jean-François Leleu and Jean-Henri Riesener.