A Feast of Georgian Life
New 2007 Season announced at Fairfax House
Fairfax House, recently described as ‘a stunning Georgian House with the best collection of furniture ever seen in one space’ by Paul Martin from BBC’s Flog It, announces its new season which is brimming with decorative arts tours, collectors events, illustrated talks and exhibitions.
As part of the season, furniture expert, Adam Bowett of ‘Antiques Roadshow’ fame, will be visiting York to lead two guided tours as part of the York Collectors & 20th Century Connoisseurship event. He will be comparing and contrasting the Noel Terry's assembly of English furniture and clocks at Fairfax House (20 Sept) and Frank Green's fascinating collection at the National Trust's, Treasurer’s House (27 Sept). These are two collections saved for the nation during the 20th century.
The newly created and highly popular tailor-made Decorative Arts Tours, giving visitors an opportunity to find out more about the treasures housed in this magnificent 18th Century Georgian House, have been expanded this season with tours now covering: John Carr in York; Silver Study; Chippendale & his Contemporaries; Marquetry & Parquetry Furniture; English Clocks & Watches and Passion for Paintings.
There will be a special tour this season for Grandparent and Grand-Children to find out more about how the Georgians lived, how they went to the toilet and who did the washing up and there is also a Candlelight Tour to give visitors a glimpse as to what is was like to live and study by candlelight!
Food historian Sara Paston Williams, will be talking about the ‘Art of Elegant Eating’ at A Georgian Repast which will be followed by a Georgian style buffet and wines, plus there will be elegant entertainments in the form of dancing demonstrations, period music and instructions on how to play Georgian card games.
There are four exhibitions spread over the year, starting with The Art of Eating (1 March – 15 July) looking at images of dining and displays of the Dessert, drawing on 18th century glass from the John Butler collection, porcelain from the Shaw collection and silver from local collectors. This is followed by At Home with the Royals (6 Aug – 30 Sept) over 50 of his best-known prints from local collector, Donald Coverdale which highlights George III and his offspring - the butt of some of the finest and funniest late 18thC drawings. The autumn exhibition focuses on English Ceramics 22 Oct – 31 Dec) showing 250 years of collecting at Rode Hall, Cheshire, one of the most important collections of English ceramics still in private hands. The exhibition season will draw to a close with Christmas with Jane Austen(1 Dec – 31 Dec) a new exhibition using the evidence of family papers, diaries, household accounts and the writings of Jane Austen.
A series of illustrated talks will complete the season’s activities. To mark 200 years of the abolition of slavery, there will be a talk on The British Sweet Tooth by James Walvin, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of York. Professor Walvin will examine the evolution of the sugar trade and links with slavery at local and national level. To link in with the English Ceramics exhibition, Peter Brown will be explaining the evolution of the porcelain Dessert Service with his Ceramics for the Dessert talk and finally antiquarian specialist, Peter Miller has selected an eclectic mix of books from the Fairfax House collection to talk about in Behind the Scenes at the Museum.
Fairfax House Director, Peter Brown said: “This year’s programme will give visitors the opportunities to explore so many different aspects of Georgian life. We look forward to welcoming our guest speakers from around the country and give our visitors a taste of 18th Century living.”
In addition to all the above events, Fairfax House is open from mid February to the end of December on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 11am to 4.30pm and Sunday from 1.30pm – 4.30pm for self-guided tours and Fridays only for guided tours only at 11am and 2pm.
For information about any of the activities planned for 2007, please visit the Fairfax House website at www.fairfaxhouse.co.uk, email info@faifaxhouse.co.uk or ring 01904 655543.
ENDS
Press Contacts:
Peter Brown
Tel: 01904 655543
Email: peterbrown@fairfaxhouse.co.uk
or
Melanie Paris
Tel: 01904 647408
E mail: hello@melanieparis.com
As part of the season, furniture expert, Adam Bowett of ‘Antiques Roadshow’ fame, will be visiting York to lead two guided tours as part of the York Collectors & 20th Century Connoisseurship event. He will be comparing and contrasting the Noel Terry's assembly of English furniture and clocks at Fairfax House (20 Sept) and Frank Green's fascinating collection at the National Trust's, Treasurer’s House (27 Sept). These are two collections saved for the nation during the 20th century.
The newly created and highly popular tailor-made Decorative Arts Tours, giving visitors an opportunity to find out more about the treasures housed in this magnificent 18th Century Georgian House, have been expanded this season with tours now covering: John Carr in York; Silver Study; Chippendale & his Contemporaries; Marquetry & Parquetry Furniture; English Clocks & Watches and Passion for Paintings.
There will be a special tour this season for Grandparent and Grand-Children to find out more about how the Georgians lived, how they went to the toilet and who did the washing up and there is also a Candlelight Tour to give visitors a glimpse as to what is was like to live and study by candlelight!
Food historian Sara Paston Williams, will be talking about the ‘Art of Elegant Eating’ at A Georgian Repast which will be followed by a Georgian style buffet and wines, plus there will be elegant entertainments in the form of dancing demonstrations, period music and instructions on how to play Georgian card games.
There are four exhibitions spread over the year, starting with The Art of Eating (1 March – 15 July) looking at images of dining and displays of the Dessert, drawing on 18th century glass from the John Butler collection, porcelain from the Shaw collection and silver from local collectors. This is followed by At Home with the Royals (6 Aug – 30 Sept) over 50 of his best-known prints from local collector, Donald Coverdale which highlights George III and his offspring - the butt of some of the finest and funniest late 18thC drawings. The autumn exhibition focuses on English Ceramics 22 Oct – 31 Dec) showing 250 years of collecting at Rode Hall, Cheshire, one of the most important collections of English ceramics still in private hands. The exhibition season will draw to a close with Christmas with Jane Austen(1 Dec – 31 Dec) a new exhibition using the evidence of family papers, diaries, household accounts and the writings of Jane Austen.
A series of illustrated talks will complete the season’s activities. To mark 200 years of the abolition of slavery, there will be a talk on The British Sweet Tooth by James Walvin, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of York. Professor Walvin will examine the evolution of the sugar trade and links with slavery at local and national level. To link in with the English Ceramics exhibition, Peter Brown will be explaining the evolution of the porcelain Dessert Service with his Ceramics for the Dessert talk and finally antiquarian specialist, Peter Miller has selected an eclectic mix of books from the Fairfax House collection to talk about in Behind the Scenes at the Museum.
Fairfax House Director, Peter Brown said: “This year’s programme will give visitors the opportunities to explore so many different aspects of Georgian life. We look forward to welcoming our guest speakers from around the country and give our visitors a taste of 18th Century living.”
In addition to all the above events, Fairfax House is open from mid February to the end of December on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 11am to 4.30pm and Sunday from 1.30pm – 4.30pm for self-guided tours and Fridays only for guided tours only at 11am and 2pm.
For information about any of the activities planned for 2007, please visit the Fairfax House website at www.fairfaxhouse.co.uk, email info@faifaxhouse.co.uk or ring 01904 655543.
ENDS
Press Contacts:
Peter Brown
Tel: 01904 655543
Email: peterbrown@fairfaxhouse.co.uk
or
Melanie Paris
Tel: 01904 647408
E mail: hello@melanieparis.com