This year’s exciting winners of the Textile Society’s 2017 Museum, Archive and Conservation Award

The Textile Society’s annual Museum, Archive and Conservation Award is designed to support textile related projects within a museum, archive, or conservation studio for exhibition, publication or conservation that will help achieve greater awareness and access for the public.

The Society offers awards of up to £5,000 for a textile related project within this sector and this year they are delighted to announce the names of two worthy winners - The Charles Dickens Museum,London and the FairlynchMuseum, Budleigh Salterton.

The Charles Dickens Museum, 48 Doughty Street, London, is the former home of renowned author Charles Dickens and is the leading centre for the study, appreciation and enjoyment of the life and work of Charles Dickens (1812-1870).   

It holds the World’s most comprehensive collection of relevant material – over 100,000 items, which includes a small collection of personal textiles - stockings, handkerchiefs and examples of Mrs. Dickens’ needlework.

With support from the Textile Society and an award of £2,500, the Museum will conserve, research and permanently display this unique collection of textiles in an exhibition entitled, ‘Mr. & Mrs. Charles Dickens: Intimate objects and private textiles.’

The museum feels that these items have been historically underappreciated but seen through this enlightening exhibition, will establish an important and tangible link to Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine, as people, powerfully suggesting the personal and domestic.

Director, Dr. Cindy Sughrue OBE said: “We are thrilled to receive a Textile Society Award, which will allow us to conserve, display and produce new interpretation for a collection of intimate objects and private textiles that belonged to Mr. & Mrs. Dickens.  These items, including stockings, handkerchiefs and examples of Mrs. Dickens’ needlework, provide a rare and evocative glimpse into their personal lives.”

The Fairlynch Museum/Budleigh Salterton Arts Centre and Museum, Devon is a small accredited museum managed and staffed entirely by volunteers.

Fairlynch Museum holds a diverse collection of costume and textiles specific to Devon and in 2017 the Museum celebrated its 50^th year of providing awareness and access to local history. 

With support from the Textile Society and an award of £2,550, the Museum will conserve and mount an exceptional rural silk wedding dress made in 1850 and a Honiton lace train and veil, worn by Lady Sidmouth at her wedding in 1914.  These exciting items will be displayed in their upcoming exhibition; ‘100 years of Wedding Dresses’, April to October 2018.

Trustee Betty Hebditch said: “Fairlynch museum were thrilled to win this award and be in the company of such prestigious former award winners.  We are looking forward to showing our wonderful costume and textile collection to Textile Society members in 2018. We hope as many of them as possible will come and see our little museum in the seaside town of Budleigh Salterton.”