Today_s_Quilter_-_November_2019

(singke) #1
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T


hefirstwomantobeelectedasMayorof
ActoninLondon(1924),andtheperson
thatwemustthankfortheacquisition
of theActonTop(left)byGunnersburyPark
Museum,is SusanSmee(1859-1949).A prominent
residentwhohasbeencalleda ‘trailblazer'and
the'FirstLadyof Acton',SusanSmeewasthefirst
womantorunforlocalcouncil,andthefirstfemale
magistrateat theActonSessionsCourt– shewas
alsoactiveineducationandpublichealth.Oneof
thedrivingforcesbehindtheestablishmentof the
museumin 1929 andtheHonoraryCuratoruntil
themuseumclosedinWWII,shewasresponsible
forbuildinganeclecticcollectionthatcomprised
Victoriancostumes,quilts,archaeology,glass
bottles,toys,paintings,printsandephemera.Miss
Smeealsomadeherowndonations,including
a PedlarDollfrom 1810 displayinga portable
haberdasheryof fiftyminiaturewaresforsalethat
wouldmakemostquiltersswoon– featuring fans,
scissors, pincushions and more.

QUILTING COLLECTION l g u n n e rsb u r y p a rk m u se u m


Lefttop,Cllr
SusanSmee
photographed
attheopening
ofGunnersbury
Park;Topright
andbelow
right,TheActon
Topfeatures
contemporary
figuresin
Regency
dress,Biblical
scenes,animals
andplants;
Belowleft,
Gunnersbury
ParkMuseum
is situatedin
a Georgian
mansionatthe
centreofthe 75
hectare estate

Theearlycollectionis mostcertainlya
reflectionof MsSmee’sinterests,aswellasher
variedandwidereachingroleswithinthelocal
community,andhasresultedina uniqueand
fascinatingmiscellanyof objectsthatrecordthe
historyof westLondonanditspeople.Overthe
years,thecollectionhasgrowntohouseover
40,000objectsfromPalaeolithicflinttools,
itemsrelatingtothecelebratedEalingStudios,
anddesignsbyBrentford-basedtextiledesigner
JoyceClissold.Themuseumevenhastheiconic
Lucozadesignthatpunctuatedmotorists'journeys
ontheM4,nowpermanentlyilluminatingits
mainlobby.It’sonlyfittingthat,asthemuseum
celebratesits90thbirthday,theActonTop,oneof
the first acquisitions, is making an appearance.

TreasuredT hreads
Until12thJanuary2020,theActonTop,together
withotherhistoricquiltsfromthemuseum’s
collection, will go on display in a small but
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