Parish Cake - Summer 2019

history
Notes from the Museum
and Archives
Mike Huxley, museum archivist, introduces
the Cranbrook Museum’s latest treasures
SUMMER
EXHIBITION
THE MUSEUM is open
from Tuesdays to
Saturdays 2pm-4.30pm,
and the same time on
Sundays in July and August, with a changing exhibition
bi-monthly throughout the year. During June and July
we are looking at the life and works of the late Michael
(Louis) Woodford. Remembered as caretaker of the
local primary school, his passion was art. He painted
hundreds of watercolours in his lifetime, designed the
stained glass windows in Golford Chapel and left, as a
bequest to the Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, his
own art collection that included Picasso, Matisse and
Sutherland. Please do come and look at this glimpse of
a remarkable man.
THERE IS good reason to visit the Cranbrook Museum this season
and see some new acquisitions. During the winter months we
were very pleased to acquire a new Cranbrook Colony watercolour.
Painted by F.D.Hardy (1827-1911) it is titled “Grandfather Clock”
and very likely depicts the interior of a home in Cranbrook.
Curator, Rod Dann, made two
trips to the British Museum
to collect items that were
found near Goudhurst. A metal
detectorist found a silver collar
stud (right) dating from between 1625 and 1725.
The decoration of a flaming heart pierced by
two arrows is thought to commemorate the
marriage of Charles II to Catherine Braganza
in 1662.
The second find
was a silver gilt dress
hook (pictured above) that was
subsequently dated as 16th
century.
These new treasures are all
displayed in a cabinet (left) which
we were able to purchase with the
money we were given from the
Co op community fund. We would
like to express our gratitude for its
support of the town’s museum.
Parish Cake • Summer 2019 39