Edward Cooper was born in Wimbledon in 1941 and lives in Wembley. His house is famous because the kitchen is a "Mondrian" in three dimensions. He received his doctorate from the University of Cambridge with a thesis on the stately castles of Castile, conducted under the direction of Sir John Elliott. His teaching work as a professor of History of Art and Design has always been carried out in schools of arts and crafts in Liverpool and London.