“Open for Tea & Treasures”
The twin National Trust properties Grossmann and Brough House in Church Street, Maitland will be open to explore with all of Grossmann’s Victorian tea sets on display. In addition Brough House will be displaying historic local photographs by Athol D’Ombrain and the normally mothballed National Trust colonial furniture and other treasures will be on show.
Devonshire teas will be available in the heritage grounds and the normally archived Victorian Textile Collection can be viewed in its entirety “on the big screen”.
Other “Treasures” of the Open Day
Grossmann House – the fully furnished “1870s House”, containing the best National Trust collection of Victoriana in New South Wales.
“Maitland’s Leading Ladies” – Panels portraying the life and times of the three historical leading ladies of Maitland and the Hunter, Janette Grossmann, Cecily Mitchell and Eleanor Hinder. The Grossmann collection of Cecily Mitchell artwork will be on show as well as Janette Grossmann's portable writing desk (Tonbridge)
Pixie O’Harris Mural – Pixie O’Harris MBE (1903-1991) was an artist, author and illustrator of childrens “fairy” pictures and stories. The large mural depicts a fantasy setting with children animals and birds. She was the aunt of Rolf Harris.
1930s School Display. Beryl Melville attended Maitland Girls High School at the Grossmann House site in the 1930s. She enjoyed her school days so much she kept a lot of her school work books, including her exam papers and even the timetable, for the rest of her life. These items have been donated to her old school site and will be on display in Brough House.
Anyone becoming a new member of the National Trust at the Open Day will have the joining fee waived (a saving of over $30). The normal membership fee still applies.
Hidden deep in the artifact archives of the National Trust some mystery tea cups have been discovered.
They have no known provenance and have never been on show in Grossmann House - until now!
Who knows the origin of these cups? How old are they? Are they Trash or Treasure?
The cups have a Chinese design pattern and a makers mark, but are so far unidentified. They are not even on the National Trust accession register.
A cup from the set will be on display in Grossmann House throughout the Open Day and we hope that experts in the crockery field passing through can identify it.
Also on show for the first time at Grossmann will be an ornate matching silver tea set comprising of a tea pot, coffee pot, sugar bowl and milk jug. These items are definitely treasure. Come in and discover their provenance.
All Mad Hatters and Alice's welcome!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment