BRONTËANA SURGERY - NEW TREASURES FROM LOCALS

Back in October the Brontë Parsonage Museum issued an invitation to anyone who thought they might own artefacts relating to the Brontës or historic Haworth to come to our ‘Brontëana surgery’ and find out more about them. The museum was keen to encourage local people to use the museum’s resources to find out more about items in their possession, and was offering free, expert advice on such material to people living in and around Haworth as part of thie Heritage Lottery funded project.

As a result, there have been all sorts of discoveries as local people came forward with their treasures. Several items are currently being investigated, including a jam pan which is believed to have been included in the sale which took place in Haworth after Patrick Brontë’s death in 1861. The museum has been able to compile a record of Brontë-related material in private hands, including an 1834 Haworth rate book, a wonderful collection of Haworth church hymn sheets dating from the Brontë period and six books believed to have belonged to the Brontës, which were given to their servant, Martha Brown (see photo). Three bound volumes of the Family Economist which belonged to Martha’s sister, Tabitha, who also assisted with domestic work at the Parsonage, were kindly donated to the museum and will go on display at the Parsonage next year.

In February 2010 we are planning to include new displays at the Parsonage which will focus on the Haworth community in which the Brontës’ lived, and it is hoped that some of this newly-discovered material can be included. We would like to thank everyone who got in touch and to reiterate that people are still welcome to contact the museum to take part in the Brontëana surgery.

Ann Dinsdale, Collections Manager, Brontë Parsonage Museum

Final Feedback From Local Residents

On the 23rd and the 29th of September, the Parsonage hosted the two final evenining events for residents of Haworth, designed to gather feedback and ideas about forthcoming changes to the museum. As before, the evenings were a great success and generated some really interesting discussions, particularly about some of the Parsonage's more controversial exhibitions! Everyone seemed to find the evening rewarding, and it was certainly useful for us in contributing to our understanding of what visitors, and in particular local people, would really like to see more of in the Parsonage.
We have been very pleased with the take up for these events and we'd like to take this opportunity to say a final thanks to everyone who attended and gave us their time and enthusiasm. We apologise though to anyone who was on our reserved list and didn't get an opportunity to attend.

Here are some of the comments and ideas we recieved.

"There's a real feeling of the Bronte's living here, not a cold, museum feel."

Pamela Young

"Liked the costumes from 'Wuthering Heights'; could replicas be made as a permanent feature when these are returned?" Alexandra Vardeaux

"There are persistent efforts to display original or very good quasi original artefacts connected with the family."

Jens Hislop

"I think the curate's study should be left as a period room and the servants room used to display artefacts of the local area. More details of the lives of ordinary people in the village would be interesting."

Margaret Smith

"I like the fact it is kept like a time capsule, you could almost imagine the Brontes still being in residence."

Claire Leary

"I don't like to see the inclusion of contemporary photos in the rooms; I like to see as many as possible of authentic artefacts.

It was fascinating to visit the library and have the talk by Anne Dinsdale and see some of the collection of papers in greater detail."

Linda Dickson

Media Release - Brontëana Surgery at the Brontë Parsonage Museum

MEDIA RELEASE - September 2009
For immediate release

The Brontë Parsonage Museum is interested in speaking to anyone who thinks they may own household artefacts, books, drawings or letters that they believe to have belonged to the Brontë family or that have connections with the Brontës or historic Haworth

Throughout October the Brontë Parsonage Museum will be offering free, expert advice on such material to people living in and around Haworth. In addition to finding out what important Brontë or Brontë-related items might still be in private hands, the museum is also keen to encourage local people to use the museum’s resources to find out more about items in their possession and have the opportunity to benefit from conservation advice.

This unusual move comes as part of a programme of community events currently taking place following a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to the museum. The grant will also support new developments to the historic rooms of the Parsonage in January 2010, including new displays focusing on the Haworth community in which the Brontës lived. Further information on this project is available at www.theheartofhaworth.blogspot.com

It is well known that various pieces of ‘Bronteana’ passed into the hands of local families following an auction of Brontë household items which took place in Haworth after Patrick Brontë’s death in 1861. Obviously we’re keen to know what if anything is still out there, but also to offer information and advice to anyone who is lucky enough to own items connected with the Brontës or Haworth in the Brontës’ time.

Andrew McCarthy
Director, Brontë Parsonage Museum

Anyone wanting to know more about items they own or take advice on conservation can contact the museum anytime in October. All enquiries will be dealt with strictly confidentially. In the first instance, contact Ann Dinsdale, Collections Manager, Brontë Parsonage Museum - mailto:ann.dinsdale@bronte.org.uk 01535 640198 www.bronte.info


Heritage Lottery Fund

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 28,800 projects, allocating over £4.3 billion across the UK. Website: file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/katharineb/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/OLK61/www.hlf.org.uk.

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Local Residents Turn Out in Force!

The first of three special evening events for local residents took place on Tuesday 15 September (there were meant to be two but the museum had to organize an extra evening to allow more people to join in!) Thirty-one guests attended and enjoyed a guided tour of the musuem, including the Library which is not normally accessible to visitors. All of the guests were Haworth residents. They discussed with musuem staff plans for 2010 when new displays will reflect the history of Haworth as well as the Bronte story. There were lots of good ideas and positive comments made - all of which will be taken into account as the museum makes plans for changes to be made in January 2010.

Here are some of those comments and ideas - thanks to all who participated:

"I think it's a good idea to incorporate more of Patrick Bronte and the servants"- Mrs D Emnott

"Putting the family in the context of the local community of the time is a good idea"

"Have you thought about(or have you done) re-enactments i.e. actors moving around the museum in costume etc?"- Michael Greenwood

"In the room where the Brontes wrote, maybe have someone reading extracts from the novels, in costume, or some sort of mechanical recording (not as good) and in display room a screen with views of the moors/wind/bird sounds and Bronte poetry being read? I enjoyed learning more about the portraits of local people"- Carole Anne Crossland

"Why not produce a street map showing where people who worked for the Brontes lived?" - Quintin Crossland

"Having lived in the village for 30 years I thought this was an ideal opportunity to undo my serious omission! I liked the connection between the Brontes and their village and feel there is a real link between the present day and the past" - Philip Carroll

"I feel that the tiny information boards in each room could be enlarged and made more attractive plus an audio guide to permit different levels of information to suit individual listeners" - Philip Carroll

"Maybe hand-held information cards in each room?"- Mr & Mrs Peter Rye

"I most liked hearing about the community in the Bronte era"- Lesley O'Brian

"I appreciated the background information and artefacts which connect the famous names with the real people they were"

" I love the evenings with authors" - Alison Wright

Media Release - Special Invitation for Local Residents

MEDIA RELEASE - September 2009
For Immediate release

There will be two special open evenings at the Brontë Parsonage Museum on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 23 September when local people are invited to come along and enjoy privileged access to the museum. Wine and canapés will be served, followed by a guided tour of the museum and a special visit to the museum’s Library, not usually accessible to the public, to see some of the treasures of the museum’s collection at close quarters and discus with staff displays for 2010 focusing on Haworth in the Brontës’ time.

The evening events are taking place as part of a Heritage Lottery funded project. The project will focus on renewing the presentation of the historic rooms of the Parsonage with new interpretation for visitors, young and old, and new object cases and displays. These events are an opportunity for local people to see the museum, find out more about its collections and help museum staff with new displays for 2010.

Places are available for 15 or 23 September, 7.30pm. Places will be limited for these special evenings and so booking is required (with early booking recommended). For further details and bookings, contact the museum on 01535 640192/ sonia.boocock@bronte.org.uk

These open evenings are a great opportunity for local people to literally see behind the scenes at the museum and to gain an insight into the remarkably rich collection we have, of which only around 10% is displayed. This project aims to make more of the collection accessible, particularly that relating to Haworth’s social history, and to involve local people in the work we’re doing to improve the museum and the way it reflects the history of Haworth as well as the Brontë story.

Andrew McCarthy
Director

Heritage Lottery Fund

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 28,800 projects, allocating over £4.3 billion across the UK. Website: www.hlf.org.uk.

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Special Evening at the Parsonage for Community Groups

A special evening event took place at the Brontë Parsonage on Wednesday 9 September, attending by representatives of various local community groups including the Haworth Village Association, Haworth Village Trust, the Worth Valley History Group, local churches, the Brontë Spirit partnership, Haworth People's Art and Haworth Fairtrade.

The event included a guided tour of the museum conducted by Education Officer, Susan Newby and a visit to the museum's Library with Collections Manager, Ann Dinsdale. This included a unique opportunity to see behind the scenes at the museum, including some items from the museum's collection relating to Haworth's social history and the Brontës in the context of nineteenth century Haworth.

The museum's plans for new displays in 2010 were discussed, with plenty of suggestions relating to how things might be improved and lots of positive feedback and ideas about the museum's intention to give a greater focus to the social-historical context in which the Brontës lived.

Here are some of the comments made and ideas;

''I really enjoyed looking at items Ann showed us in the Library, especially the journal from the Old Apothecary with various recipes for medical complaints of individual local people's ailments''

''After my visit I felt privileged to have seen such items normally hidden away. It made me feel somehow closer to the Brontë sisters''

''The only improvements would be more space available to show more of the hidden items that presently are not able to be viewed by the general public. Social history exhibition sounds a super idea - Also improved access for wheelchairs from car park'' - Claire Scott

''Better signage. Disabled access from car park'' - Jan Aldridge

''You have not succumbed to the temptation of filling rooms with 'fakes'!''

''Wherever possible make the premises more accessible'' - Chris McCarthy

''Audio/ video/ films of things not able to be shown'' - Sandra McCarthy

''The museum could be improved by displaying more of its collection - perhaps elsewhere'' - John Wood

''I liked the attention to detail and recreating the life of the Brontës as well as the artefacts such as their clothes''

''The museum could be improved by showing other Brontë artefacts, and local history. Making more of Patrick and his work in Haworth'' - Ian Palmer

''... period costumed tour guides, more artefacts on display, more information on the history of the house, social history and background to the Brontë world'' - Pam Howarth

''Expand information about the wider community and the lifestyle conditions the Brontës lived in'' - Rita Verity

There are two further events to follow for local residents.

HLF Local Community Consultation Projects

The free local residents day on Saturday 8 August was a great success with 270 local people taking advantage of the offer, almost half of whom were first time visitors to the museum. We also had a good response to the visitor survey which took place on the day. We asked residents some quite detailed questions about their experience at the Parsonage, and we'd like to thank everyone for their patience in responding!

We were obviously pleased to find that most residents rated highly the content of the museum and would visit again; we were equally interested in discovering what they felt worked less well, as well as what they particularly enjoyed and what they would like to see more of. The information that we gained from this survey is the first step towards our goal of ensuring that the redevelopment taking place at the museum will be responsive to these ideas and opinions of local residents.

Here are some examples of the suggestions we recieved

"Would like to see more about the village and conditions and the early Bronte Society"

"How about a special information board for children?"

"More audio visuals, perhaps someone reading from the bronte novels..."

"More information about film and TV productions"

"It would be nice to read more reviews of the novels as published at the time"

"People dressed in period costume"

"More details of where they walked and how they travelled about in general"

Remember if you are intersested in having a more in depth opportunity to give us your input and are able to attend either of our residents evenings on 15 and 23 September, please contact Andrew McCarthy on andrew.mccarthy@bronte.org.uk

Susan Newby
Education Officer

Media Release - Free Local Residents' Admission to Brontë Parsonage Launches Development Project

MEDIA RELEASE - June 2009
For immediate release

Admission to the Brontë Parsonage Museum will be free to local residents on Saturday 8 August.

The Brontë Parsonage Museum was recently awarded £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support an exciting new development project. The project will focus on renewing the presentation of the historic rooms of the Parsonage with new interpretation for visitors, young and old; new object cases and displays, and a programme of events for local people to come and find out more about the museum and get involved in the project.

This programme will kick off on Saturday 8 August when local residents of BD20, 21 & 22 will be able to visit the museum completely free of charge. All that’s needed is a recent utility bill or other official proof of address which can be shown at the museum entrance. In addition to having the chance to look around the Parsonage, see the museum’s newly refurbished exhibition area and a new exhibition focusing on the Brontës’ reprobate brother, Branwell, there will also be a chance for locals to make suggestions about what changes they’d like to see in the museum through a visitor survey.

There will also be special open evenings at the museum on 15 and 23 September when locals can enjoy a guided walk around the Parsonage, visit the museum’s Library and take part in a Brontë treasures workshop to help staff with new displays which will focus on Haworth in the Brontës’ time. Places will be limited for these evenings and so booking is required. For further details and bookings, contact the museum on 01535 640192/ sonia.boocock@bronte.org.uk

''This is a great opportunity for local people to come along and enjoy a free visit to the museum and also for us to find out a bit more about what locals think of the museum. This project will help us include more about the history of Haworth in the museum’s presentation but also involve the local community of today.''

Andrew McCarthy
Director

Media Release - Brontë Parsonage Museum Receives £50000 From Heritage Lottery Fund to Support New Development

MEDIA RELEASE - June 2009
For immediate release

The Brontë Parsonage Museum has been awarded a grant of £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support a programme of exciting new developments.

The museum has ambitious plans to completely refurbish the historic interiors of the Parsonage over the next two years. This will involve researching and introducing a new decorative scheme to the Parsonage rooms, the renewal of interpretation giving visitors of all ages information about the house and the family, and installing new object cases and displays. The project will also seek to create a greater focus in the museum on Haworth’s history and the social-historical context in which the Brontës lived. As part of this initiative there will be a programme of community activity to involve local people in the project. The Heritage Lottery Fund grant will fund stage 1 of the project which will involve the introduction of new interpretation, object cases and displays and the community programme of events which will begin with a local residents’ free admission day in August.

The museum, which was home to the famous Brontë family for over forty years, and is where Charlotte, Emily and Anne’s great novels were written, recently completed a major refurbishment to its permanent exhibition space located in an extension to the original Brontë house. The refurbishment was the first major development at the museum in over twenty years and the new exhibition space, Genius: The Brontë Story, which includes the treasures of the museum’s collection as well as fun interactive displays for children, has proved a big hit with visitors. This latest project will see further improvements to the museum.

Fiona Spiers, Head of HLF, Yorkshire and the Humber Region, said: “This fantastic project will really bring the Museum’s collections to life for everyone to explore. HLF is dedicated to supporting projects that open up our heritage for locals and visitors to learn about and enjoy.”

''We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund is supporting us with this work. The Brontës are the heart of Haworth but they were part of a broader community when they lived and wrote here and the museum has an important role in reflecting that and in forging links with the twenty-first century Haworth community. This project will hopefully allow us to work in partnership with that community to reinterpret the Brontës and the Parsonage for the next generation.''

Andrew McCarthy
Director, Brontë Parsonage Museum

Anyone interested in finding out more about, or participating in, the programme of community activities should contact the museum on 01535 642323/ sonia.boocock@bronte.org.uk
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Brontë Parsonage Museum

Please see the Brontë website for further details at http://www.bronte.info/ or write to Brontë Parsonage Museum, Church Street, Haworth, Keighley BD22 8DR T: 01535 642323, F: 01535 647131

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 28,800 projects, allocating over £4.3 billion across the UK. Website: http://www.hlf.org.uk/.