NEWS RELEASES
Women's Secrets Revealed at Horsham Museum
24th September 2007
There are two things that men should never ask a lady, the two great unfathomable mysteries: – the contents of her handbag and what’s behind her wardrobe doors! About eight years ago, Horsham Museum achieved worldwide fame in revealing the contents of ladies’ handbags, and now for the first time reveals the contents of a woman’s wardrobe in a new exhibition entitled Marjorie’s Wardrobe.
The exhibition, which has been put together by Museum staff and the ladies of the volunteer costume team, is the wardrobe of one lady, Marjorie Bonwick. Marjorie first came to Horsham with her family in 1919. Marjorie’s father, Alfred Bonwick, was a Liberal MP and Party Whip; he was also a courtier. They lived on Highlands Road from where Marjorie attended Heathfield House, a private school on Hurst Road. She lived most of her life in her adopted town, becoming an independent-minded lady who enjoyed buying clothes and accessories. If she liked something in particular she would often buy more than one example, which resulted in a large wardrobe with many items never worn.
Marjorie’s pleasure in clothing and her acquisitive nature would have remained a secret had she not gone into a nursing home towards the end of her life as she offered the Museum all her brand new, unworn items, and it is these that are now revealed in this latest exhibition in the Museum’s Costume Gallery, Marjorie’s Wardrobe. On display there are examples of clothes from the 1940s through till the 1980s, including many by such well-known names as Jaeger, House of Fraser, Sidgreene of London, Norma Della Legge and London Pride. Also included are examples of clothes by the Polish-born Horsham tailor Robert Quasnitschka, who was based at the Bishopric and was tailor to European royalty. Marjorie often patronised his business.
The exhibition opens on 26th September 2007 and runs until 27th September 2008. Marjorie’s Wardrobe will not only fascinate and entertain the female visitor to the museum, but also help men understand a little bit more about the female wardrobe.
Editor please note: members of the volunteer team who helped put the exhibition together will be available from 11.30am on Wednesday 26th September for photographs. For further information please contact Andrea Newell, Museum Assistant.
For further information please contact Jeremy Knight, Curator.
Horsham Museum
9 Causeway, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1HE
Tel: (01403) 254959 Fax: (01403) 282594
Email: museum@horsham.gov.uk
http://www.horshammuseum.org/