The largest collection of memorabilia belonging to novelist Thomas Hardy is on display in a new crowd-funded exhibition in Wessex.
Thomas Hardy, one of the greatest novelists of the nineteenth century, is best known for his novels, Tess of the d’Urbervilles and Far from the madding crowd, is at the heart of a new collection in Wessex, the town that shaped his writing, by the Wessex Museum.
Hardy is a rare author, creating beautiful prose of detailed landscapes and unforgettable characters. His works encapsulate the female experience, in such a defining and breathtaking manner that one could be forgiven for thinking that he was a woman. His ability to tap into the very spirit of what it meant to be a female in the late 1800s is something that is as profound today, as it was back then, and has often been acknowledged as the first proto-feminist text.
Compassion and humanity were the common themes woven throughout his works and his life. Hardy was also a well-known advocate for equality, campaigning against all kinds of injustices, including animal rights, and the rights of working people.
In a collab with Dorset, Poole, and Salisbury museums, Wessex Museum has brought together the biggest collection of Thomas Hardy memorabilia to date. Many items on display have never been seen before, with some hailing from private collections around the world. Items include the author’s manuscript for The Mayor Of Casterbridge. A kettle that once belonged to Hardy’s grandmother and a tombstone sketch that the author created for his beloved dog.
Curator Harriet Still told the BBC, that it was “absolutely incredible” and that the collection would “hopefully speak to people on many different levels, the objects, which come from a collection that is on Unesco’s memory of the world register, are “internationally significant. It’s amazing seeing it all come together… it really is mind-blowing.”
The Thomas Hardy exhibition will run until 30 October.
