Ham House, New Perspectives: Past, Present and Place
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Time: 12.00pm - 6.00pm
Venue: Ham House and Garden
Price:
free
Ham House, New Perspectives: Past, Present and Place showcases work-in-progress from the creative researchers group The Storybox Collective in collaboration with the National Trust's Ham House and Garden.
The work on display in the exhibition captures initial explorations—in sketchbooks and in postcard format—of Ham House's rich and varied history, the hidden gems within its collection, its restored 17th-century gardens and the estate's Still House, built for use by Elizabeth, Duchess of Lauderdale.
Still houses and the process of distillation in England can be traced back as far as 1478 with still houses or rooms becoming common in country houses by the 17th century:
"People from all walks of life used distillation in the period 1560-1660. In the home women would use the common simple stills in winter to purify oils and make very simple waters, such as rose water. All medical professionals used stills. Physicians certainly did for research purposes."
‘The Still Room Opened', Hugh Petrie (1998)
Storybox Collective members' research and work-in-progress is inspired by interconnected themes of 17th-century cuisine, materia medica and the use of plants, health and wellbeing, endangered crafts, the female experience and historic beliefs in folklore and magic. This first exhibition invites people to consider each artist's journey from inspiration to creation, and to examine the role of historic places and collections as sources of new ideas and creativity.
A further exhibition displaying the final artworks will take place at Ham House from September 2025.
The Storybox Collective (SBC) is a KSA staff/student/alumni group of artists, designers and writers working with historic collections and archives to explore the potential of creative research through collaborative making. Previous collaborative projects include: ‘William Morris Wallpaper Man' with The William Morris Society and ‘Finding Ways In' with Glyndebourne Opera House in Sussex.
Image: Background image: ©National Trust Images/John Hammond
Image description: Section of a cabinet on a stand, circa 1675, probably by Gerrit Jensen, veneered with floral marquetry including ebony, walnut, stained fruitwood and ivory.
Free event
National Trust admission to Ham House and Garden applies. Further information can be found here
For further information about this event:
Contact: Clare Conway
Email: c.conway@kingston.ac.uk
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