OBJECT OF THE MONTH
Each month we bring out an object or artefact from our stores, research its history and put it out on display in the Mansion House.
AUGUST 2010
THE ANSONS IN FORMAL DRESS
The Ansons and in particular the fourth Earl of Lichfield (1883-1960) had to perform several public duties. Formal costume, as laid down by tradition, was worn at these engagements.
A recent donation to the County Museum Collection by the Earl of Lichfield contained items of formal dress and uniform belonging to the Anson family.
Displayed here is a selection of formal items from this recent donation. The items were worn by the fourth Earl of Lichfield, Thomas Edward Anson (1883 – 1960) and his second wife Violet Margret (nee Dawson-Green), Countess of Lichfield. Items include the Earl’s Second World War Home Guard Uniform and Deputy Lieutenant Uniforms from the 1930s and 1940s.
The collection also includes a set of coronation robes belonging to the fourth Earl’s second wife, which were worn at the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953.
The Earl himself had a set of coronation robes which he wore to both the 1937 and 1953 coronations. These were previously on display in the mansion house with coronation robes belonging to the Earl’s first wife Evelyn Maud (nee Keppel), Countess of Lichfield.
Since the objects have been donated to the County Museum Service they have undergone some conservation work. They have been treated for carpet beetle, a beetle which can cause damage to textiles by eating away at natural fibres. The most common treatment is to freeze objects to temperatures below -30°C for 48 hours.
PREVIOUS OBJECTS
TOXIC TAXIDERMY
A highly poisonous artefact has gone on display at Shugborough this month. A peregrine falcon and white pheasant which have been preserved with arsenic.
The white pheasant was shot on the estate in 1899 – this was one of many curios amassed by the Third Earl (1856-1918) – an avid collector.
The peregrine falcon was shot on Cannock Chase on September 30th 1924 – probably by the Fourth Earl.
Arsenic was used in taxidermy as a pesticide (insect deterrent) from the mid-eighteenth century. It had many other uses and was widely prescribed in medicine to treat disorders such as rheumatism, syphilis and TB.
In addition, it was used in “Paris Green” - a green pigment used in paint which adorned many fine wallpapers during the period. It is this highly poisonous paint which is famously believed to have caused Napoleon’s death.
Arsenic became most infamous as a rat poison, which when mixed with water became undetectable to the human palette. This led to several high profile poisoning cases during the late nineteenth century.
In taxidermy, the arsenic would be used in a soap form to scrub the inside of animal skins before stuffing took place.
These are just a couple of many arsenic-preserved artefacts at the estate and conservationists have to take great care handling them – using special masks and gloves when opening cases.
WHALE TUSK IS A CURIOUS SIGHT AT SHUGBOROUGH
A six foot long whale tusk has gone on display at award-winning attraction Shugborough this month.
The horn is believed to be at least a century old and originally came from a narwhal whale.
The artefact is part of the estate’s popular Object of the Month scheme - an initiative which sees objects brought out of the estate’s rich archives which wouldn’t normally be on display. Some artefacts, such as April’s horn curio, have never been on public display before.
The horn is almost two metres in length (6ft 4in) and is believed to have been acquired as a curiosity – perhaps as a dinner time talking point - by a past Earl of Lichfield.
Narwhal whales have two teeth. In the males, one of these teeth grows right through the upper lip to form the prominent horn. They can grow tusks of up to three metres (10ft) in length.
The whales live in the arctic regions of Canada and Greenland and are still hunted for their meat by Inuit people today.
No one truly understands why the whales grow such prominent horns but it is believed to be used as part of a mating ritual.
The object is on display daily in the mansion house Anson Room.
THE ART OF ANNE MARGARET
Two watercolour sketches painted by Anne Margaret (1779-1843), wife to Viscount Anson. They have never been on public display before.
Lady Anson, was daughter to Coke of Norfolk who became 1st Earl of Leicester. He ensured his daughters enjoyed a good education and Ann Margaret was taught to paint by Gainsborough’s nephew.
She appeared to be a quiet, nervous person. Married at the age of 15, she was always chaperoned by elderly ladies who taught her to play cards. It appears she passed this love of card games onto the eldest of her eight children, Thomas William Anson - later the 1st Earl. He later lost a large portion of the estate’s assets paying off gambling debts.
These two examples of her work depict views of the Shugborough Estate in 1817. The first, shows the lodge which still stands today part way along the main drive. The second, shows a view of the mansion house, with a glimpse of the medieval Essex Bridge on the right hand side. We believe she must have painted this from the Haywood Cliffs area of the Estate – which is the high ground that can be seen when looking directly ahead from the mansion house steps.
She was certainly a creditable artist in her own right and a particularly fine example of her work is displayed in the Red Drawing Room – a large canvas depicting her children. This was displayed in a Royal Academy exhibition in 1799.
Another lasting legacy of Ann Margaret’s years at Shugborough, are the chairs which now surround the dining room table. Lady Anson commissioned these small and elegant pieces specifically because of their uncomfortable nature. It appears she had some desire to discreetly encourage guests not to overstay their welcome after an evening of entertainment at the estate.
WEDGEWOOD DAIRY SERVICE
Two precious artefacts are to be brought out of storage for the first time ever and put on display in the Shugborough Mansion House.
The two large bowls from Shugborough’s 200-year-old dairy service will be on public display at the stately home, near Stafford, throughout the month of June.
The Redware pieces are part of an eight piece set which were especially commissioned by Shugborough’s Lady Anson and made by Josiah Wedgwood.
Despite being acclaimed as the most unusual pieces of Josiah Wedgwood’s Redware ever to be produced, the dairy service has remained under wraps since Staffordshire County Council took over the estate in 1966.
The bowls were originally made for the Tower of the Winds within the estate grounds. In 1807 Lady Anson used the lower floor of this garden folly as her personal dairy and the four octagonal and four ovals bowls were made specifically to use in this area as settling pans for milk. Each brown bowl measures over 22 inches in length and bears black Egyptian motifs around the rim.
The pieces will be on display daily in the Shugborough mansion house throughout the month.
PAPER CROSS
Shugborough is rumoured connections to the Holy Grail, has revealed an enigmatic artefact for the first time ever.
Shugborough Hall, near Stafford, attracted world wide publicity four years ago when Bletchley Park’s codebreakers made an attempt at cracking an indecipherable code on a garden monument at the estate.
Some believe the code on the Shepherd’s Monument points the way to the Holy Grail. Staff at the tourist attraction have now put an historic paper cross on display as the May Object of the Month.
This small paper cross was found tucked into the roof space of the mansion house in the early 1990s. It has been stored in the depths of Shugborough’s archives since and has never been on display before.
Most interestingly it appears to have been deliberately torn from newspaper into the shape of a Cross of Lorraine. The newspaper is the British Chronicle of May 20, 1794.
The Cross of Lorraine was used as a symbol by the Knights Templar after the Patriarchs of Jerusalem granted its use to them during the Crusades. Its image has been found scratched into the walls of cells where some Knights Templar were held before execution.
Joan of Arc also adopted the Cross of Lorraine as her standard. In the 15th century, Rene d’Anjou – who later became the Duc of Lorraine – kept a piece of wood in the shape of the Cross of Lorraine believing it was part of the True Cross of Christ.
Later in the 18th century, Shugborough’s Anson family supported the then Duc of Lorraine in the Austrian War of Succession. He went on to become the Holy Roman Emperor. Some people believe members of the House of Hapsburg-Lorraine are descendants of Christ.
Corinne Caddy, of Shugborough, said: “We have no idea why the paper cross was deposited in the mansion house’s roof space. However, there are many theories regarding the Anson family’s connections with secret societies and more particularly, surrounding the code on the Shugborough Shepherd’s Monument – which some say leads to the Holy Grail.
“Perhaps it was simply placed there as a good luck symbol. Perhaps it is purely accidental that a piece of newspaper should be ripped into a shape resembling the Cross of Lorraine. Or, perhaps, it is another clue in the mystery regarding the secret of the Shepherd’s Monument.”
The cross will remain on display in the mansion house until the end of the month when it will be replaced by another interesting object from the estate’s stores.
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