The Carrick Hill collection and the Ton of Stuff project.
Australians love to collect stuff and they also like hearing about collecting as the popularity of the ABC TV Collectors program tells us. Museums take the approach a bit further than private collectors as they hold collections in trust for the public and have to operate under certain rules and a code of ethics.
When the museum is a historic house and the stuff has all belonged to small number of people that lived at the place, the story for me grows more interesting. Our stuff at Carrick Hill belonged to Ursula and Bill Hayward from 1935 to 1970, and in that 35 years the main body of their collecting was done - then sadly Ursula died. But before she died they both agreed that the collection should be kept together and that after his death it should all be given to us - the people of South Australia.
This is why I chose to work in house museums and revel in what the objects in the house can do to bring the stories of those who lived and worked in the place alive. Whether its a chipped cup the cook used for her morning tea or the little black french dress that madam wore to her cocktail parties (Yes! Ursula Hayward was dressed by Dior and its in the collection!) - the objects hold the mysteries and reveal all kinds of information about time, place, people and their style. The other wonderful aspect of working in house museums is that they have nooks and crannies where things get lost, and then years or decades later come to light.
So every month we are going to ask you a collection related question as part of a poll - as we are keen to find out about what you collect, why and what you think of our collection here. And should you happen to visit us here at Carrick Hill, there will be an opportunity for you to let us know what you would choose to put in our 100 Most Interesting Items - which could appear here on the blog...so keep watch!
My name is Richard Heathcote and I am known as the Keeper - the old fashioned name for the role of looking after the physical and intellectual material that comprises the items in a collection whether its a chipped tea cup, a Gauguin fan painting or a Dior by dress.
We have some wonderful stories to share with you over the next fifty weeks of the journey to discover the most interesting one hundred objects in the Carrick Hill collection - the Ton of Stuff.
To the Keeper
ReplyDeleteA ton of Stuff?
But is that a Ton of 2240 pounds
from the tun, (a barrel of the largest size)or a Tonne, 2000 kilos, - a mighty prize, but is that enough?
The Long and the Short of it will no doubt arise, over the coming 50 weeks
or could it be £100 or 100mph
Whichever - Well Done!
And Ursula was a Barr Smith - something new to learn every day!
Now for the Order of the Thistle - what could I say?
Your
Licentious Poet