In May, a new touring exhibition opened called ‘Hardy’s Wessex’. Curated by the Wessex Museum Partnership, the exhibition is being displayed across four museums: Dorset Museum, Poole Museum, The Salisbury Museum and Wiltshire Museum. Each museum explores a different theme, and together it is the largest collection of Thomas Hardy objects ever displayed at one time. To prepare for the exhibition DHC was asked to conserve a number of items, to ensure their stability and therefore safety during transport and display. This blog will look at just a few of these items and will give a taste of what visitors might expect to see at the museums.
Dorset Museum: ‘The rural landscape – social tensions’
The theme of Dorset Museum’s display explores Hardy’s thoughts on social inequalities, as well as his passion for the protection of animals. Amongst the items on display are The Mayor of Casterbridge and The Dorsetshire Labourer manuscripts.
The Mayor of Casterbridge binding had become detached from its text block and the first page was loose. To repair it, new spine linings were adhered with a flange that extended beyond the spine towards the boards. The endpapers were carefully lifted on the boards and the flange inserted beneath, thus reattaching the binding to the text block. The loose page was reattached in place with a Japanese paper hinge.
The Dorsetshire Labourer had some minor tears and creases. These were flattened and repaired using a thin Japanese paper and wheat starch paste.
Wiltshire Museum: ‘The ancient landscape – superstitions’
Wiltshire Museum is looking at how superstition and old beliefs of Wessex were incorporated into Hardy’s stories. Within the collection is a pamphlet Some Romano-British Relics found at Max Gate, Dorchester written by Hardy and read at the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarians Field Club meeting in 1884.
The pamphlet is Florence Hardy’s own copy. It is a small single section binding which was held together by staples that were rusting and there were some small tears and folds. The rusting staples were carefully removed, and the pamphlet was sewn together with bookbinding thread, through the original holes the staples had made. The tears were repaired with Japanese paper.
The Salisbury Museum: ‘The urban landscape – women and religion’
The Salisbury Museum is exploring both the influence of religion on Hardy and the women that shaped his life, and how they inspired his campaign for women’s rights. This exhibition includes Kate Hardy’s copy of Read’s Illustrated Edition of The Pilgrim’s Progress.
This children’s book had multiple tears, surface dirt and the sewing was failing. Surface cleaning and paper repairs were carried out and the book was re-sewn using bookbinding thread and following the original sewing structure.
Poole Museum: ‘The coastal landscape – love and war’
Poole Museum is looking at the influence of the coast on Hardy and the role of love and war in both his stories and real life. Among the items conserved for Poole Museum are Emma Hardy’s ‘Some Recollections’ and The Going of the Battery manuscript.
The cover of Emma Hardy’s notebook, in which she describes her first meeting with her future husband: “I was immediately arrested by his familiar appearance as if I had seen him in a dream”, was in poor condition. The paper was torn and handling for display would have caused more damage and potential loss. The two red ties holding the paper text block and cover together were carefully released, freeing the cover. This was then cleaned and lined with Japanese paper. A number of pages in the text block were also repaired. The two ties were carefully replaced, replicating the original knots.
The Going of the Battery had also sustained some damage, displaying multiple tears and surface dirt. The manuscript was cleaned and paper repairs were carried out with Japanese paper.
This blog provides a small taste of the items that are on display at the four museums. ‘Hardy’s Wessex’ runs until 30 October 2022.