Secrets of the Museum - Series 2

Episode
Episode Five - Bags Inside Out/ Churchill Despatch Box
Broadcast Info
2021 (59 mins)
Description
Inside every museum is a hidden world, and now cameras have been allowed back behind the scenes at the world-famous Victoria and Albert Museum in London. And although many of us have had to stay away over the last year, in the V&A’s workshops and storerooms, the work has continued to conserve some of the two million wonders in the museum’s collection. Only a small part of the museum’s collection is ever on display. But in this series, we go behind closed doors to explore all the treasures of art, design and performance the museum has to offer. We follow experts and conservators at work in this treasure trove of the nation’s favourite objects, as they breathe new life into fragile marvels, uncover hidden stories, and work tirelessly to keep the past alive for all of us. This week, we join curator Lucia - who has spent the last two years looking for the best examples of handbags, cases and trunks, for the museum’s first-ever exhibition devoted entirely to the ultimate accessory. One very special object she is hoping will take centre stage is a red despatch box that once belonged to Sir Winston Churchill, during his controversial tenure as Secretary of State for the Colonies. The box is being loaned to the museum, and it’s such a rare item that conservator Jane never expected to see something like this in her lifetime. Before it can take its place in the exhibition, Jane needs to ensure it is stable enough to endure months on display. With the added pressures of working on a loaned item, Jane must make the right decisions to ensure the box is ready in time for display. Meanwhile, alongside the despatch box, Lucia has discovered another red case she wants to display. This one wasn’t owned by a famous politician, but by Hollywood royalty - Vivien Leigh. The red writing case was used by the Oscar-winning actress while she filmed on location across the world. Curator Lucia is keen to uncover some of Vivien’s correspondences from her archive to include in the exhibition, but her visit to the stores uncovers an incredible connection between the two red cases she could never have imagined. Throughout the pandemic the V&A has continued to receive requests to borrow its treasures. Now, one of its most prized paintings is due to be sent abroad. The V&A has one of the largest collections in the world of works by John Constable, and now 14 of his landscape paintings are due to be loaned to the Teylers Museum in The Netherlands. One of the 14 paintings, ‘Dedham Lock and Mill’, a large work in oils depicting the mill owned by Constable’s father, hasn’t left the museum for decades - and won’t be allowed on loan until conservator Nicola gives it the all-clear. But the team is under pressure, as lockdown has meant that they have less time than normal to organise the loan. Nicola will only know if the painting can be given the go-ahead to travel when she takes the canvas out of its frame for the first time in decades, and discovers what lies beneath. At the V&A’s Museum of Childhood in east London, the entire collection of 30,000 toys and games is being packed away before a major refurbishment. One of the most challenging objects to pack is a 350-year-old doll’s house. The oldest and most fragile doll’s house in the museum’s collection, it was made in Nuremberg in 1673. Inside are some 300 exquisite miniature versions of furniture, paintings, silverware, bedding, and even animals. Collections Moves Officers Frances and Max have the painstaking task of condition-checking each individual piece, making sure everything is accounted for as well as ensuring there aren’t any pests lurking in the soft furnishings. And while looking inside the house, they discover a mystery object hidden in the attic. Over in the Theatre and Performance department, curator Simon is looking for a new star to join the museum’s wall of fame honouring important stage productions of the past. One of the plays he is keen to showcase is Talawa Theatre Group’s ‘Smile Orange’. Founded in 1986, the Talawa Theatre Group provides a unique stage for British black actors, as well as specializing in works celebrating Black British voices. To find out more about the play, Simon meets up with one of the company’s founders - Yvonne Brewster. He uncovers not just the story behind the ‘Smile Orange’, but also the adversities faced by Yvonne as a young black actor.
Genre
History; Culture; Art & Design

How to cite this record

The Open University, "Secrets of the Museum - Series 2". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/239763 (Accessed 10 Jan 2025)