Newsletter AUTUMN 2013
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FoIM Newsletter -Autumn 2013 The Friends of the Ipswich Museums Newsletter AUTUMN 2013 we look forward Our cover : Ball Gown donated by Lady Munnings to promote the past FoIM Newsletter -Autumn 2013 The Friends of the Ipswich Contents Museums Newsletter Editor’s Notes ---------------------- 3 Legacies ---------------------------- 3 Chairman’s Letter------------------ 4 is published three times a year and Bill Seaman’s Column------------- 6 distributedfree to all members. The Friends Diary ----------------------- 7 FoIM was set up in 1934 to support the work and development of the Ipswich Friends News----------------------- 8 Museums: Ipswich Museum in the High Events ------------------------------10 Street, Christchurch Mansion and the Tour of Woodbridge---------------11 Ipswich Art School Gallery. Since April Houghton Hall Visit ---------------12 2007 the Ipswich Museums have been Lowestoft Porcelain Disk --------13 managed as part of the Colchester and Garden Report --------------------14 Ipswich Museum Service (CIMS). William Leathes -------------------15 Friends continue to provide financial Costume Display------------------16 support to the Ipswich Museums as well as acting as volunteers. The Once Upon a Time----------------18 Friends run outings, talks and other Unlocked Project------------------20 events for their members. Smile Felix?------------------------21 The Friends provide guided tours of Corporate Members ------------ 22 the Mansion and Museum, including The Committee--------------------23 free Peeps into the Past at the Mansion Membership Information---------23 throughout most of the year. Tours for groups can be booked by contacting Advertisements----------3,10,19,22 the Mansion (01473 433554). Our advertisements are all from FoIM is a member of the British corporate members, please support Association of Friends of Museums, them. the Ipswich Arts Association and the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. Cover Picture: Ball gown painted by Contributions to the Spring 2014 Sir Alfred Munnings PRA for his wife, Newsletter should be sent to the editor Violet—see page 17 by 1 Feb 2014. Have you visited our website? www.foim.org.uk? We use our website to advertise events notified too late to be included in the Newsletter. 2 FoIM Newsletter -Autumn 2013 FoIM is a subscribing member of the Ipswich Arts Association, please visit their website www.ipswich-arts.org.uk for further information. Editor’s Notes Recently the FoIM Committee has been The second article was offered by a very active sorting out a large number of “Mansion Guide” who wrote a short events for you. Unfortunately this has piece on an exhibit which particularly resulted in a later distribution date for the appealed to her (page 13). I am hopeful newsletter because I needed to wait for that other guides will follow her example. details of all the visits, talks and tours to The third article is by Anthony Cobbold be finalised. I hope everyone will find who tells us about the Cobbold Family something which appeals to them. History Trust on page 21. Please be aware that if you wish to come to the Christmas Party, which will Mary Halliwell be at the Mansion this year, you need to Editor decide quickly so that the caterer can be given adequate notice. Bill Seaman, our Museum Manager, keeps us up to date with the ambitious developments planned for the Ipswich Museums. He is very enthusiastic about our excellent collection, much of which is in storage. I was very pleased to be offered three articles by FoIM members. One of our past chairmen has offered a series of short articles about the Leathes Family. The first appears on page 15. There are more to come. Legacies If you would like to remember FoIM in your Will you can be assured that any gift we receive will be used to enhance or conserve the collections of the Ipswich Museums. If you are considering a legacy, please speak to your solicitor. Our registered charity number is: 275527. 3 FoIM Newsletter -Autumn 2013 Chairman’s Letter It was suggested by John Lapsley, our New Displays Corporate Membership rep, at our last We now have the display of items committee meeting that it may be relating to Benjamin Britten on show in beneficial to FoIM to join the Chamber of the Mansion, together with the Commerce. This has proved to be a sumptuous ball gown which once very useful forum to promote the Friends belonged to Lady Munnings, wife of the and canvass for new corporate artist Sir Alfred Munnings. Bob Entwistle members. It has also kept us in touch has provided information (page 17) with how the Town is being developed, about the painstaking conservation work giving us an opportunity to promote our carried out on this elaborate costume, Museums as much as we can. This will which Lady Munnings wore to the be particularly important in the context of Chelsea Arts Club Grape Festival ball in the Heritage Lottery Bid being put 1933. FoIM are pleased to have funded forward by the Museums Service. Bill the costume displays over the last few Seaman updates us on this on the next months, and hope we can do more to page. help get our collections seen in the Mansion Information for Visitors future. The room books at the Mansion are in Friends Activities need of a revamp. The Mansion Guides Since our last newsletter, The Friends are helping to compile a list of the 10 have enjoyed another Woodbridge tour most interesting or important items for (page 11) and a visit to Houghton Hall every room. Emma Roodhouse will (page 12). We have also had two Study collate these to produce new room Sessions taken by Paul Bruce which information cards. have given us the opportunity to look Afuture plan is to offer alist of the 10 closely at the work of artist Anna Airy “must-see” items in the Mansion for and the walnut furniture in the collection. visitors with limited time. I have found In November, we have a Suffolk Artists this an almost impossible task with so talk with Mary Halliwell planned and a many interesting items on display – talk by Mary Crehan on textiles followed anyone who would like to make their by lunch. We have two more lunchtime own suggestions, please email me. talks planned in the New Year and a visit [email protected] to the East Anglian Masterpieces We are still in the process of producing a exhibition (page 10). brochure or guide book for the Mansion. On 11 December at 6.30 pm Marjorie This is something we have lobbied about Carter will give an illustrated talk about for some time and Claire Sanders, the the families who once lived in the CIMS retail manager, is endeavouring to Mansion. Marjorie, who is one of the progress this with the help of Friends Mansion guides, recently gave a similar and Staff. I hope we might have talk for Ipswich Arts Association and has something positive to report in the next kindly agreed to do it again for us under newsletter. the title “Squabbles and Scandals”. Stay 4 FoIM Newsletter -Autumn 2013 and have a glass of wine with us Christmas Party 2013 afterwards in the Great Hall. There will I am looking forward to seeing many of be another chance to walk around the you at our Friends Christmas Party on Mansion with Joan Munns looking at the Wed 4 December starting at 7 pm. The role and language of flowers in art on 11 party is being held at Christchurch January – “ABlooming Good Tour!” On Mansion this year and we will be 25 January Liz Latham will be doing a entertained by Village Voices who will talk and tour of the Museum called a “A be singing some old favourites and Cabinet of Curiosities.” some up to date pieces for us. There A trip to Bath is taking place in the will, as usual, be plenty of goodfood Spring and we are arranging a mid- and wine, so do join us for some festive summer speaker’s dinner in June. More good cheer and good company. details to follow. Erica Burrows East Anglian Daily Times Chairman I hope you have seen Ferial’s occasional articles in the EADT about Pease contact me if you would like to some of the items in the collection. We discuss any aspect of the work of FoIM. hope this will prompt more people to My email address is visit our museums and attract some new [email protected] members. 01473 785152 Bill Seaman’s Column Incredibly, six months have passed This is a significant time for the Ipswich since I arrived and it has been both a Museum development with the fascinating and demanding time. With submission of the Stage One bid to the major projects in the developmental Heritage Lottery Fund due at the end of stage for Ipswich Museum and in November. There are exciting delivery at Colchester Castle, I’ve been prospects for the Museum with plans to really pleased to be involved with join up the currently separate buildings ambitious and exciting projects from the and to encourage a cross-over of outset. The Service, quite rightly, has audiences and experiences between high aspirations and is committed to the on-site arts and museum partners. giving greater access to its magnificent One of the privileges of working in collections and buildings. It is achieving museums is the access to the stored this while working through the collections. My visits to the museum consequences of a major staff stores in Ipswich are voyages of restructuring largely precipitated by the discovery; rich and multi-layered with a loss of revenue funding from the Arts surprise around every corner. Ipswich Council. I am proud and heartened by has collections to be proud of and I the positive attitude of the museum staff believe that this type of experience and the belief and vision of IBC officers should be freely available to all our and FoIM Members.