Description
Book SynopsisMany historic houses that open to the public in England and Wales - particularly those owned by the National Trust - preserve their contents rather than restore them to a particular period. The former owners of these houses often retained objects from various periods and this layering of history produces interiors that look aged and patinated. Although the reason for this preservation and lack of fashionable renewable can be attributed to declining economic fortunes in the twentieth century, there are many examples of families practising this method of homemaking over a much longer period. Taking National Trust properties as its central focus, this book examines three interlocking themes to examine the role of historic textiles. Firstly it looks at houses with preserved contents together with the reasons for individual families choosing this lifestyle; secondly the role of the National Trust as both guardian and interpreter of these houses and their collections; and finally, and most
Table of ContentsFaded and threadbare interiors; Preserving historic houses: interpreting the fabric of the past; Families who preserved their textiles in the past; Conserving textiles: from needlework and housekeeping to professional intervention; Textiles as palimpsest: history held in the surface attributes; Historic textiles with a past and a future; Bibliography; Index.
