50 Years of Lotherton

1 Mar 2019 - 20 Oct 2019

Lotherton Hall and Estate

Join us at Lotherton as we host three exhibitions to celebrate our 50th anniversary as a museum. Representing the past, present and future of Lotherton, these exhibitions showcase the variety of our collections and exciting new talent. All three  are free with admission into Lotherton. 

End of an era

This display curated by Lotherton volunteers looks at the last members of the Gascoigne family who gave Lotherton to the city of Leeds. A selection of letters written by Lotherton’s last private owner, Sir Alvary Gascoigne, during his diplomatic career will be on display. They include a letter describing a private meeting Sir Alvary had with Winston Churchill in 1943.

On the 6th August 1944 Douglas Wilder Gascoigne, Sir Alvary’s son and heir, died fighting in Normandy. Exactly twenty-five years later, on the 6th August 1969 Lotherton Hall opened to the public as a museum. The history of Douglas’s career and the eyewitness account of his death will be told through films and oral history, together with a display of personal family objects.

Fifty years in the making

The hall will celebrate its extraordinary collection and explore how the hall has changed through half a century of public ownership. Showcasing special displays of decorative arts and archive material from the last 50 years, you will have the opportunity to discover how the hall was transformed from the Gascoignes’ family home to become the museum it is today as well as uncover the jewels from the collection.

Fashion forward

Lotherton Fashion Galleries will host some of Britain’s most exciting contemporary talent, showcasing catwalk fashions by those who are making their names on the international fashion scene.

On display will be innovative designs by luxury womenswear label Cunnington & Sanderson and the ready to wear label Faye Hindle Studio; unique wearable art by Sadie Clayton, whose signature material is copper; and creative and bold fashions by the ethical designer Bo Carter. There will also be statement jewellery by Jenny Llewelyn, who creates experimental pieces using luminescent silicone and precious metals. A taste of emerging new talent will be presented through a selection of designs by recent graduates.

The fashions on display will celebrate the creativity of the Yorkshire region as all the designers have either come from, studied or are still working in the area.

Exhibitions are free with normal admission into Lotherton.