Portrait miniatures were popular in Europe from the early 17th-century until around the 1850s, depicting their sitters in the silks, brocades and lace that adorned the garments of the day. Often ornate and gem-like, many were designed to be worn on the body – themselves becoming fashion accessories. This display, featuring a selection of exquisite … Read more
A 150th Birthday Tribute The Barber Institute’s founder, Lady Barber (1869 – 1933), was born Martha Constance Hattie Onions, on 16 May 1869 at Earl’s Croome in Worcestershire. This display, celebrating the 150th anniversary of her birth, turns the spotlight on Lady Barber’s life: her social circle, her artistic endeavours, and her interests in gardening, … Read more
An unquenchable curiosity and desire to document the world around him drove the Italian patron Cassiano dal Pozzo (1588 – 1657) to assemble his ‘Paper Museum’ – a spectacular collection of around 10,000 drawings, watercolours and prints. It covered antiquities, architecture, zoology, botany and geology, social customs and ceremonies, costumes, portraits, topography and military maps. … Read more