As part of the ongoing Thomas Hardy cataloguing project, we have been joined by Emma, an intern who is working alongside Dorset History Centre and the National Trust to unlock some of the gems hidden in the collection…
—
Some of you may have seen me at Dorset History Centre (DHC) if you are in on a Wednesday, but for those who have not met me, my name is Emma. Since April of this year, I have been doing an internship, for one day a week, at DHC and working specifically on the Thomas Hardy archive. I am very pleased to be working alongside Ruth Burton, Archivist for the Thomas Hardy Project, on a collaborative initiative with the National Trust called the Empty Rooms Project.
In 2015 I completed my master’s degree in Cultural History. Then in 2018, I started working at the National Trust as a Collections Assistant, working across three small properties: Max Gate, Hardy’s Cottage and Clouds Hill. Clouds Hill was the rural retreat for T.E. Lawrence (also known as Lawrence of Arabia). Hardy’s Cottage was where Thomas Hardy was born in 1840, while Max Gate was the home that Hardy designed for himself and his first wife Emma, in 1885. Max Gate contains some original furniture that belonged to Hardy, however many of Hardy’s possessions were dispersed before the house was acquired by the National Trust in 1940.
The Empty Rooms Project is one outcome of a recently completed Conservation Management Plan at Max Gate. The plan helped to identify the necessary maintenance, repair work and conservation required at the property. It highlighted the need to address how some of the ‘empty’ rooms upstairs at Max Gate are presented.
The Thomas Hardy archive is held on deposit at Dorset History Centre, for Dorset Museum and Art Gallery, with some items owned or otherwise on deposit to DHC. The archive contains a significant amount of material relating to Max Gate. This includes architectural plans, photographs, sketches and letters, particularly around the sale of the house. During the internship I will use insights and learning from the archive to help inform the decision-making process around the presentation of the many empty rooms at Max Gate. I will also be thinking about how information from the archive might be used in exhibitions to engage a wide range of audiences.
It is very exciting to be involved in such a significant joint project between the National Trust Hardy properties and Dorset History Centre. It is a fantastic opportunity for me to find out about the diverse work undertaken in an archive. So far, I have learned about arranging and cataloguing a collection, and have enjoyed getting to know the team at DHC. I have also recently started cataloguing material that is directly related to Max Gate. I am very much looking forward to working further on this project and will update you with my finds.