HERITAGE

Comings and Goings

The last quarter has been a very busy one for the Heritage Group, but ultimately productive

Many of you will have noticed that some of the Polo Bar works on paper have disappeared. They are currently being cleaned, their mounts checked and reframed in museum quality glass. We expect them back in much better condition in September. A new picture, purchased in 2019, will be added to the Polo Bar collection: Westchester Cup 1936 by Walter Ord Carruthers was exhibited in St James Palace on 13 June 2006, with other paintings and memorabilia celebrating this prestigious event.

Orbis Conservation was invited to view and quote for work on the sculpture items identified as needing attention. Their quote was accepted, and the items left the Club on Tuesday 30 July. The most serious is the Armillary Sphere and, as the photos clearly show, a push and it would probably have toppled over. Orbis are also undertaking remedial work on the Garden Party at Hurlingham painting.

We have been liaising with Ruth Edwards, Senior Project Manager, to ensure all the heritage paintings, fixtures and fittings and lights in the East Wing have been identified and recommendations given on specialist moving and storage companies. On 3 July, Cadogan Tate completed the decant in a very professional manner and will be storing the items until the project is completed. A few items which could not be transported – the Embroidery and the Sicilian marble fireplace – will be boxed in to protect them during the works. This work was greatly facilitated by the room inventories downloaded from the Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAMF) database.

Talking of which, I was lucky enough to persuade Liberty Leonard-Shaw (Libby) to return to the Club to conduct one more survey before she goes to the States to study for a Masters. This time the project was to identify, photograph and document the memorial benches located all over the grounds. This was no easy task as benches have a habit of being moved from their usual locations,
and some of the engraving on the plaques has faded. In three short days Libby was able to add 71 benches to the database, and we only failed to locate two. She also updated the map and list used by the Grounds staff to return the benches after winter storage and treatment – they were delighted.

The proposal to move the Sphere Fountain has been discussed at length at Heritage meetings. We conducted some background research on the installation and costs in 2004, by speaking to those involved, including Mike Sullivan, an aeronautical engineer, who constructed and installed the fountain. Key questions still remain as to its final location in view of the complexity of siting and installing a fountain, use of the new patio area, and cost. The Heritage Group awaits a final decision.

Do come and join us on Tuesday 17 September at 5pm, to learn more about the Club’s rich collection of items, both in the Grounds and the Clubhouse. Diana Lecron will discuss the beautiful sculptures in the Grounds, and then I will take the group around the ground floor rooms to discuss the history of some of our prize heritage pieces. The evening will conclude with a glass of wine in the Dining Room.

CARRIE STARREN, CHAIR, HERITAGE GROUP
carrie.starren@hurlinghamclub.org.uk