Introducing the project
The National Trust is committed to sharing broad, varied and well-researched histories of people. During 2022, we embarked on a collaborative research project, with the University of Leicester’s Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG). This project examined the potential for the National Trust to engage with histories of disability using objects and sites within its collection.
The project asked three key research questions:
- How can we identify histories of disability across National Trust sites and present them in ethically informed ways that enrich everyone’s understanding of both our sites’ histories and their contemporary resonance?
- How can we carry out this work ethically and inclusively, placing expertise derived from lived experience of disability at the heart of the process?
- How can we share disability stories in ways that reflect leading edge accessibility practice?
Working collaboratively
The work was undertaken in collaboration with a group of disability experts who supported two researchers, who were also disabled, to whittle the list of 80 objects and stories submitted by our curatorial teams down to 10 for focused research. The 10 objects and stories covered a range of disabilities and perspectives, including disabled artists, representatives from historic families who lived at some of the National Trust places, and stories of figures who acquired disability later in life. The full list is available on the main project website.
Three stories from the project
The student speaker
Airmyne Jenney was the granddaughter of Sir Vauncey and Isobel, Lady Crewe, members of the historic family at Calke Abbey. Sadly, she was kicked by a horse whilst working at the Army Remount Centre at Melton Mowbray whilst a young woman and consequently lost the ability to speak. Over many years Airmyne did learn to talk again and her approach is included in a book which is part of the collection at Calke Abbey.
Airmyne and her much loved brother, ‘Hen-ry the lis-ner’ as she described him. (© National Trust – David Midgelow)
The miniaturist
Sarah Biffin is a celebrated 18th century disabled artist. Born into a farming family in Somerset, she taught herself to sew as a child and became an accomplished dressmaker. Aged 20 she began painting lessons, using her mouth and shoulder and soon left home to tour the country giving demonstrations. She made her name working in miniatures and created a successful career in London, receiving many commissions including from the Royal Family.
Llanerchaeron has the only painting by Sarah Biffin in the National Trust’s collection. As well as presenting an image of the painting as part of the online output from ‘Everywhere & Nowhere’, the property team has relocated the Biffin painting down to an accessible room so that all visitors are able to view it.
The noisy mill
Wellbrook Beetling Mill produced linen. One stage of the production involved pounding the cloth with wooden hammers, known as beetles. The relentless noise caused many workers to experience hearing loss and, whilst at work, they had to communicate in a form of sign language. There are no historical records about the impact of the process which leads to questions about the documenting of disabled people’s lives and experiences of working practises.
Steering a way forwards
A steering group made up of disabled and non-disabled staff from the National Trust and RCMG guided the project through research and development to decisions on display and the creation of resources to assist with future work. Accessibility was paramount throughout the whole project and the voice of disabled people led this work, literally so in the case of the film which was the main output. The script was written by the steering group and RCMG and voiced by one of the group members. It was also decided to have the British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation included as a main presenter of the film and not purely located in the traditional position of the bottom corner of the film interpreting it all. When there is spoken word from one of the presenters, such interpretation is used but, otherwise, a main presenter is using BSL. This was a progressive change in the role of Deaf people in National Trust interpretation and a significant learning point in the project about equity of experience.
The impact of this project is informing the continual development of our curatorial work at the National Trust.
Find out more
- Everywhere and Nowhere – project website
- Everywhere and Nowhere – University of Leicester introduction
- Disability Histories at National Trust places
- Access for everyone – accessibility at the National Trust
- ‘Any Work’ at the mill (exhibition) – read more about the impact of noise on mill workers in our previous post from the curator of an exhibition at Armley Mills
