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Ancient House explores its Anglo-Indian past
Ancient House, Thetford’s timber- framed museum of local history, marks its 100th birthday this year – and now Norfolk Museums Service, which cares for the property, has even more to celebrate, thanks to a major grant from the National Heritage Lottery Fund. This will allow the museum to create new displays exploring its Anglo-Indian origins, and telling the story of its founder Prince Frederick Duleep Singh, the son of the last Maharajah of the Sikh Empire.
Prince Frederick’s father, Maharajah Duleep Singh, was still a child when he was deposed and brought to England following the annexation of the Punjab during the Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-1849). He later raised a family at Elveden Hall, near Thetford, and his children have left lasting legacies that will now be given greater prominence at Ancient House.
Prince Frederick (right), who was deeply interested in archaeology and local history, purchased the Tudor building and gave it to the people of Thetford as a charitable ‘public museum’ that opened in 1924. His sisters, Princesses Sophia and Catherine, meanwhile, were passionate campaigners for women’s rights, with the former playing a key role in the suffragette movement.
While Ancient House will retain its key focus on local history, the almost-£200,000 grant will fund new displays featuring items reflecting Anglo-Punjab history, a model of Elveden Hall, and objects belonging to the Duleep Singh family. It will also support a programme of activities, events, and exhibitions, as well as the creation of new educational resources.
See http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/ancient-house for more information about Ancient House and how to visit.
Fashionable find on display
A rare ‘Mr Fish’ kipper tie has gone on display at the Museum of London Docklands after it was bought in a charity shop for 99p.
Menswear designer Michael Fish pushed the boundaries of male fashion during the ‘peacock revolution’ of the 1960s and 1970s. Known for his bold use of colour and patterns, his creations were worn by celebrities including Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, and David Bowie, and he devised the exaggeratedly wide ‘kipper tie’ whose name plays on that of its inventor.
This example was found by charity-shop enthusiast Janneke van der Wal, who spotted it in a Southampton branch of Age UK. She was attracted by its vibrant design and thought it might be useful for a future fancy-dress party, but it was only after returning home and Googling its ‘Mr Fish’ label that she realised the item’s cultural significance, and contacted the Museum of London to offer it to their collections.
The tie is now on display at the Museum of London Docklands as part of Fashion City: how Jewish Londoners shaped global style, which runs until 14 April. The exhibition tells the story of Jewish designers, makers, and retailers who put London at the heart of the fashion scene, from East End tailors to the couture salons of the West End. See http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands/whats-on/exhibitions/fashion-city for more details.
Grant Museum reopens
The UCL’s Grant Museum of Zoology in London has reopened to the public following a ten-month, £300,000 programme of improvement works.
Originally founded in 1827 as a teaching collection of comparative anatomy, today the museum is home to around 68,000 zoological specimens, including both extant and extinct species.
The recent initiative has involved the creation of six new showcases, and the updated displays reflect ideas of ‘species under threat’, exploring themes of biodiversity and the human impact on the planet. See http://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/grant-museum-zoology for more information.
Images: Norfolk Museums Service; © Museum of London
New exhibitions
Fascinating Finds from Nottingham’s Caves
University of Nottingham Museum, Until 7 July
|http://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/exhibitions/event/5954/fascinating-finds-from-nottinghams-caves.html
A Pocket Full of Sand
John Hansard Gallery, Southampton, Until 11 May
https://jhg.art/whats-on
2024 Banner Exhibition
People’s History Museum, Manchester, Until 30 December
https://phm.org.uk/exhibitions/2024-banner-exhibition
Women of the RNLI
National Maritime Museum, London, Until 1 December
http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/national-maritime-museum/women-of-the-rnli
Hidden Voices: the lives of the women who made Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s New Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, 16 March-3 November
http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/whats-on/hidden-voices-exhibition
Last chance to see
Rising Tide: art and environment in Oceania
National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Until 14 April
http://www.nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events/exhibitions/national-museum-of-scotland/rising-tide
