 “Good Night Sleep Tight” Exhibition curated by Alice Rowbotham
Alford Manor House presents “Good Night Sleep Tight” exhibition, an opportunity to take a glimpse into the lives of early 17th Century women through the places set aside in Alford Manor House for sleeping, in 1611. With a collection of 17th century bedroom furniture, including collections from the Geffrye Museum, London and the New Walk Museum, Leicester, the furniture is displayed, in its historical context, to show the Lady of the Manor’s bed chamber, elegantly designed to reflect her status as the wife of a wealthy rustic landowner. In contrast, view the impoverished sleeping quarters of her maids and compare the differences between them and with the place where you sleep. What has changed and what remains the same, consider furniture, comfort, privacy or the lack of it?
The project is in response to a Renaissance East Midlands initiative 'Museums for Changing Lives', directed towards post-graduate Museum and Heritage Students to provide them with 'on the job experience' with professional supervision.
Alford Manor House is a Grade II* listed building and is the largest thatched Manor House in the country, built in 1611. Funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund enabled a restoration of the building in June 2002 completed in 2006. The Manor House has among its thirteen awards, full accreditation with Highly Commended status for Community Works Award, Renaissance East Midlands Best Exhibition Award, East Midlands Visitor Attraction Flagship and Volunteer Flagship Awards. We are therefore a highly recognised museum in Lincolnshire and have received commendations for our work both in the wider East Midland's Region and our local community
The display reflects life outside the Manor House and materials and activities which show that the people who lived in 1611 were conscious of the benefit of recycling, sustainability and eco friendly products and materials, although it was due to necessity rather than choice.
The extraordinary crafts and skills of the people of 1611 in creating furniture, dying textiles, architecture, metal and needlework is evident. Candle -making from tallow or beeswax, weaving wool and linen was also important. These types of work would have been a normal and important activity in the daily life of the people living in Alford where village life would have been centred on the Manor House.
Keeping alive these crafts and skills, a number of volunteers in the Alford community of 2010 have participated in replicating furniture, sewing night clothes, making music, candle making and throwing pots, as their contribution to making the exhibition a success. The wooden candle holders were carved and turned by local woodworkers and a stump bed made by the Head of the Civic Trust. Kettler’s Cottage Crafts, the local cottage industry for soap and candle making created candles made with tallow collected from a local butcher. The wax for making beeswax candles was collected from the hive of the local beekeeper, Bizzibees. Alford Pottery replicated pots and the sewing group replicated night wear. A teacher, teaching assistants and some pupils of the local technical college also replicated 17th Century furnishing. Alford Girls and boys Brigades, Scouts and Guides groups sewed and stuffed sacks made from hemp supplied by the local gardener. Alford’s Community has contributed to keeping alive skills and crafts prevalent in 1611 to making the exhibition a success. Their commitment echoes one of the themes of the exhibition apparent in 1611: that of sustainability, eco friendliness, locally sourced products and materials and creative activities that would have been done nearly 400 years ago.
Exhibition Officer Alice Robotham |
