Cliffe Castle Blog

Posted on March 14, 2013 by danwilloughby

Work at Cliffe Castle continues to progress and it’s great to see the building starting to change as new lights begin to go on in the ground floor galleries.

March has seen the restoration and installation of three fabulous Victorian Gas lights in the entrance area and Breakfast Room. These should make the building even more welcoming and give visitors a feel of the house’s Victorian heyday.

Also planned is the complete cleaning of our four huge lead crystal chandeliers which were bought by Henry Isaac Butterfield in the 1880s. With the support of grant aid they should sparkle properly again. Specialists from Ross on Wye will be coming to site to take them to pieces and wash them, we are sure you will notice the difference.

While we have been closed we have also made some special acquisitions which you can see when we open. Best of all we have found the original portrait of QueenVictoria, which was bought by the Butterfield family in the 1880s and left the collection in the 1950s.

Painted when the Queen was in her early widowhood it’s an astonishing work of art. This is currently being cleaned and restored ready for you to see later in the year. The attached picture shows it when first installed in the Breakfast room over a century ago.

Visitors will also be pleased to know that the first layers of paint are going on in the Bracewell Smith Hall. Originally coloured in red, green and cream with elaborate gilded borders, the room is going back to its original 1950s appearance. We hope to have this area fully refurbished by Summer of 2013.

We will be publishing a detailed opening programme soon. If you have any queries about the museum please contact us on 01535 618231.

 

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Danish Christmas at the Manor House

Posted on January 11, 2013 by danwilloughby

Written by Lauren Padgett – Museum Assistant

Every year the Friends of the Manor House take on the responsibility and mammoth task of decorating the museum. Each year has a new, exciting theme. This year a Danish theme was chosen.

On Thursday 29th November, some of the Friends gave up their time and busied themselves ‘Danifying’ the museum. Out came bags of ivy garlands, lots of pretty red paper hearts, a ‘Velkommen’ (Danish for Welcome) wreath and strings of Danish flags. Not forgetting the ensemble of elves known as Nisse in Danish. By mid-afternoon on the Thursday, the museum had been transformed from an English, medieval manor to a very festive, Danish home. Cups of tea all around were in order.

Nisse elves in Danish folklore protect farmers’ homes and children from misfortune and bad deeds during the night. Our Nisse watched over the museum and brought children visiting good fortune over the Christmas period. Children could also play a game of hide and seek with the Nisse elves as ten were hidden around the museum waiting to be found.

Afterwards, children could sit down to make Christmas decorations at the craft table – Danish decorations of course. The Friends had also arranged two Hans Christian Andersen story-telling sessions before Christmas to help visitors get into the Christmas spirit that little bit more.  The Danish Christmas was well-received by visitors. The museum assistants at the Manor House wish they had a pound for every time they heard a child gasp in awe or say ‘WOW’ at the sight of the decorated fireplace and real fir tree.

It was a fantastic Christmas at the Manor House, thanks to the Friends and all their hard work. Who knows what the theme might be for Christmas 2013? But what we do know is that we will be finding stray pine needles around the museum until then!

http://manorhouse.ilkley.org/

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Kids in Museums – Ashlands Primary at the Manor House

Posted on January 4, 2013 by danwilloughby

On 23 November Year 3 pupils from Ashlands Primary School, Ilkley took part in National ‘Kids in Museums Take Over Day’ at the Manor House, Ilkley.

Pupils greeted visitors, answered the phone, dealt with enquiries, stocked the shop, formulated tours and learnt how to pack objects.

“I learnt how to answer the phone, the first thing you say is ‘good morning Manor House’” Samuel, year 3 pupil

“I loved answering the phone and because I enjoyed it so much I would love to do it at home” Erica, year 3 pupil

Year 3 also curated a display reflecting the development of the camera over the past 60 years which will be on show until 24 February 2013.

 

“The best bit was when we had to write descriptions of cameras for the display” Reuben, year 3 pupil.

From choosing objects and laying out the display to researching and writing the labels; pupils were excited to be involved in creating a display for visitors.

‘Our daughter came to take over the museum, she enjoyed it so much she wanted us to come too’ Parent

This day at Manor House Museum followed on from a successful day in 2011 at Bolling Hall Museum with Russell Hall Primary School, where pupils worked at the museum for a day and created their own museum back at school.

http://kidsinmuseums.org.uk/

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Bolling Hall

Posted on December 13, 2012 by danwilloughby

If you’ve been for a visit to Bolling Hall recently, you may have noticed that some of the furniture appears to have sprouted strange white covers…

Bolling Hall is undergoing some major maintenance work at the moment, during which time we’re also taking the opportunity to return some of the rooms to their historical colour schemes. The Housebody, the Georgian stairs and the Ghost room are all having a bit of a makeover and some areas are being returned to the colours they were when the Museum first opened in 1915.   If you walk from the Kitchens towards the housebody, you’ll see the magnolia has been replaced with a dark brown and pale stone colour scheme.  We think it looks a bit like chocolate, but we wouldn’t recommend licking the walls!

With all this work going on, including the preparation for the public Library that opens on the 16th January, we’ve been busy packing away some of the smaller objects to keep them safe whilst the work is going on.  Larger items that we can’t move, such as the Chippendale bed in the Red Couch room are being wrapped in acid-free tissue paper and bubble wrap.

We’ve also been taking the opportunity of giving some of the furniture a conservation clean.  We’ve cleaned upholstery with a special back-pack vacuum cleaner, (which has very low suction and a protective screen) – so that we can remove dirt without damaging the material.  We’ve using soft brushes to clean dust and dirt from furniture, and using special type of wax called ‘Renaissance wax’ developed by the British Museum to clean and protect the wood.  It’s not the most glamorous of jobs, but it is a satisfying one.

Because some of the work to be done will need scaffolding (can you imagine trying to paint a room as tall as the housebody on ladders?) Bolling Hall will shut temporarily from the 17th December.  We’ll be reopening on the 16th January, with the coverings removed, the paint scheme completed and the new Library in place for the community to use.   We look forward to seeing you all then!

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Call for Hockney memorabilia

Posted on September 21, 2012 by admin

Cartwright Hall Art Gallery is appealing for artwork and local memorabilia that can be displayed in a unique David Hockney exhibition.

Our curators want to make the exhibition truly special to the Bradford district and have called on members of the public to come forward with items of Hockney memorabilia, personal recollections or stories.

People will be able to take objects for consideration to Cartwright Hall Art Gallery on Wednesday, 26 September between 11am-3pm. Please note that no items can be left at the gallery and they will simply be registered at this stage.

Items that will be welcome for consideration include photographs, Christmas cards, drawings and paintings. Pieces that are accepted will be displayed from December until next April alongside items drawn from Bradford Museums and Galleries’ permanent collection.

In addition, people who have personal recollections can attend the drop-in event. An outline of their tale and contact details will be collected for a possible audio project.

People who are unable to attend the event but have something they would like to contribute can contact cartwright.hall@bradford.gov.uk, telephone 01274 432711, or send a letter to Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Lister Park, BD9 4NS.

Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Culture, said: “David Hockney is one of Bradford’s most famous sons. It’s therefore fitting that this exhibition will have a local perspective with valuable contributions from the district’s residents.”

David Hockney was voted the UK’s number one most influential artist in 2011. A blockbuster show held at the Royal Academy of Arts in London earlier this year featured Bolton Junction, an important early painting from the collections of Bradford Museums and Galleries.

The new exhibition, which will concentrate on Hockney’s early career, will run at Cartwright Hall from Saturday, 15 December until Sunday, 14 April 2013.

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A Volunteer’s View

Posted on August 28, 2012 by danwilloughby

Written by Phil Heritage

The first time I visited Bradford Industrial Museum was during its annual Victorian Christmas market in 2011. At seeing all the varied galleries, interesting objects and enthusiastic staff dressed in Victorian attire, I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of. On finding out that volunteering opportunities as tour guides had become available; I decided to apply through the Bradford Museums and Galleries website.

I was invited to interview and was then accepted as a volunteer tour guide. During training, I discovered all about the different exhibits and the interesting facts behind them. I learned all about the key skills needed to be a tour guide, such as projecting my voice and encouraging questions from visitors. The first time I led a tour myself I was very nervous, but the friendly and encouraging staff helped me through it.

As time passed, my skills and confidence improved and my nerves disappeared as I got to know both the museum and the staff better. Other volunteering opportunities and projects opened up to me, like the 1975 back to back house project. As part of this, a hand full of other volunteers and I planned and researched how to redesign one of the back to back houses to depict the style and period of 1975.

My volunteer work at Bradford Industrial Museum taught me a great deal and helped me develop a wide variety of skills. From being a tour guide, my communication and time management skills have improved through presenting galleries and exhibits to large groups. From the 1975 project, I have developed further skills in research, team work and organisation. Throughout my time at Bradford Industrial Museum, I have expanded my own knowledge of British industrial and social history, as well as learning about the working mechanisms of a museum from behind the scenes, and the educational importance that museums have.

These experiences have really helped to enhance my CV through the skills I’ve developed and the work ethic I’ve shown. I now hope to go on to be a History teacher, to share with young people all the things I learned about history at university and experienced as a volunteer at Bradford Industrial Museum.

If you would like to find out how to be a volunteer with Bradford Museums and Galleries, please follow this link to our volunteering page to see current opportunities and vacancies: http://www.bradfordmuseums.org/volunteering/index.php

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Blog from the Castle II

Posted on August 14, 2012 by danwilloughby

Here at Cliffe Castle our major refurbishment is now in full swing. The fact that work has begun is fantastic but we now have to be extra vigilant to make sure that all of the collections are safely looked after. One of the things that we’re really proud of here is our magnificent red carpet with its gold Fleur de Lys design, which was specially woven to recreate the carpet that would have lined the stairway and hall in the 1880s. To ensure that the carpet isn’t damaged during the refurbishment we have begun to very carefully take it up and keep it in safe storage until work here is complete.

The landing feels a lot colder without the lovely thick warm carpet beneath our feet, we’ll be glad when it’s back.

Although we’re closed to the public, the staff here are very busy indeed. For the past couple of weeks we have been working in the basement, which on a summer’s day would normally seem a bit gloomy, but as there is a lack of sunshine outside we have been quite happy packaging things up, and exploring our treasure trove that is down there.

Pictured below is one of our more strange looking objects. Do you have any ideas what it could be?

There are also some beautiful pieces of kitchen ware which could be perfect for an Edwardian tea room scene at the Manor House Museum and Art Gallery in Ilkley. One of our favourite items is this teapot which although very well used has some beautiful floral designs on it and there is even a delicate little flower on the top.

It may be a bit ornate for the use in an Edwardian tea room but with it being a bit worn perhaps it could have been rescued from a local wealthy family who were going to throw it out.

We’ll post again soon to keep you all informed of our progress here at Cliffe Castle but for now all this talk of tea is making us thirsty, so we’re off to make a brew. Unfortunately it won’t be coming out of anything as beautiful as the teapot.

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Christopher Pratt & Sons Exhibition

Posted on April 30, 2012 by danwilloughby

Preparation is underway here at Bradford Industrial Museum for the Christopher Pratt and Sons exhibition (8 December 2012 – 7 April 2013).

The company may be familiar to you. Pratts have fitted and furnished Bradford homes, businesses and buildings from their premises on North Parade since 1845, until their move to Leeds in 2003. Our very own Red Room at Bolling Hall Museum, with its restored Chippendale bed and 18th century silk damask walls, was created by Pratts.

In November we attended a historical talk led by David Pratt, about his family and their furniture business. This was followed by a nice chat over pie and peas, and a cup of tea. The family are being very helpful with our research and supportive of the exhibition.

Part of the exhibition planning process requires us to assess what relevant objects there are in Bradford’s museums collections. With the right interpretation, these objects will help tell the story, and fuel nostalgia and memories for visitors who remember Pratts. A trip to our collections store was needed with our Social History curator and Collections Officer.

We examined Victorian sideboards with ornate tiling through to complete Edwardian bedroom suites; Art Nouveau chairs contrasting austere utility armchairs from the Second World War. We also delved deep into the costume racks to see a late Victorian mourning dress and a 1920s flapper style wedding dress, worn by Pratt ladies. We left with a camera bursting with photographs, a list of potential objects to exhibit, and a smile on our faces.

 

Our photographs have encouraged discussion with the exhibition team about which objects to use, what themes and topics to explore and how to display them. The next steps are finalising the objects and themes, working out the exhibition space layout before designing and writing the interpretation panels.

Do you remember Pratts? We are keen to find out our memories. Did you buy a piece of furniture from them? Or did you work there? Let us know. Either write to us, email us industrial.museum@bradford.gov.uk (Subject: Pratt exhibition) or fill in the memories folder in the reception at Bradford Industrial Museum.

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Blog From The Castle

Posted on April 20, 2012 by danwilloughby

All friends and fans of Cliffe Castle will be aware that the building is now closed to undergo an exciting project of major refurbishment. We will keep you updated with how things are developing.

We are now at the end of our second week of packing here at the Castle. It’s a complex process. The team are working hard to ensure that the building and all of the 100,000 plus items here at the museum get the best care and protection while refurbishment happens and it’s proving to be a fascinating challenge.

Every item presents a different conundrum and everything has to be packed. You have to remember that ‘everything’ can include a huge range of things from  an 18th century table to our famous stuffed two headed calf. Our brains are certainly well occupied (though not as well occupied as the calf’s…).

One of the first challenges was trying to decide how to protect our beautiful grained oak, wrought iron and gilt copper staircase. Created in the 1870s for Henry Isaac Butterfield, it is an amazing piece of work but incredibly fragile. Collections Officer Dale Keeton came up with the master plan to use tissue paper, bubble pack and cable ties and here is the end product. It now looks like a piece of modern sculpture thanks to Trevor, Andy, Neil and Alan, but tucked away inside is a delicate balustrade protected against dust and knocks.

 

Next we will be moving onto the packing and care of the smaller objects in our collections. We’ll keep you all informed of our progress.

Posted in Cliffe Castle, Collections | 5 Comments

Life’s a ball

Posted on December 31, 2011 by danwilloughby

In 1884 Cliffe Castle’s owner Henry Isaac Butterfield held a grand ball at his home. The event was described in several newspapers at the time. Guests were expected to wear white at the event. It was described in the French style as a Bal Blanc.

These two dresses belonged to the Clapham sisters. The sisters lived with their family at Eastwood House, another grand Keighley mansion.

The dresses are made from silk brocade and ivory lace. As the dress code stipulated white or cream, the style of the dress or the texture of its material became more important; both have a floral pattern. The lace used at the collar and cuffs echoes the material of the skirt.

These dresses are good examples of the fashion for slim fitting, slightly trained evening wear that briefly became popular in the mid 1880s.  The bodices of the dresses are called cuirasse, named after the piece of the armour the shape resembles.

They are very similar in style. One dress has a much lower neckline – we think that this may have belonged to the elder of the two sisters as it was generally expected that younger women should dress more demurely.

The act of wearing an item of clothing can sometimes cause damage– perspiration can stain or its acidic nature begins to weaken the material.  Fabric also grows more fragile and brittle with age. Conservation of these dresses is soon to take place thanks to support from the Regional Museums Hub.

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