GROUPS of delicately pressed flowers more than 170 years old are perhaps an unlikely exhibit in a military museum, but they are currently on display in Richmond.
They’re part a new special exhibition at The Green Howards Museum; ‘Treasures in Store’, which gives rarely seen items from the museum’s vast collection of more than 40,000 objects, their chance to shine.
In fact, these flowers have never been on display. Due to their fragility and vulnerability to light damage, they are only being shown for a fortnight at a time before being retired to the cool dark sanctuary of the museum stores, and replaced with another set.
The flowers were collected by Lieutenant J H Kirke during the siege of Sevastopol, during the Crimean War.
The siege began in October 1854 and did not end until September 1855.
During the harsh, cold winter men like Lieutenant Kirke would have endured severe hardship, not just due to the weather, but from poor food, inadequate winter clothing and limited medical supplies.
The coming of spring and warmer weather must have been a huge relief. No wonder Kirke treasured these flowers.
Their appearance must have seemed nothing short of miraculous after the months of snow and ice.
“The flowers demonstrate perfectly the ethos of the new exhibition,” said museum curator, Lynda Powell.
“They have been collected, treasured, and now displayed. We want visitors to understand the role of museum stores and our responsibilities as conservators of the collection that is in our care. ‘Treasures in Store’ charts the development of a museum collection; following the journey of objects through time – fulfilling their changing roles as practical or essential, personal, collectable and educational, and the different ways in which items end up in a museum.
Delicate fabrics, exquisite goldsmithing, fragile documents, and even private thoughts all feature as examples of the type of treasures we have in store to share with museum visitors.”
Admission to Treasures In Store is included with museum entry.
The museum is offering the opportunity for exclusive access, with an introduction from one of the curatorial team, for groups of up to ten people, as part of their new Covid-safe entry arrangements.
Visit greenhowards.org.uk to book, or call 01748-826561 for assistance with planning a visit in line with the current Covid-19 guidance.
* To feature an object, contact Andrew White via email on andrew,white@nne.co.uk
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