A very happy Hardy Christmas!
The Wessex Museums team would like to wish a very happy Christmas and New Year to all our colleagues, volunteers, donors, supporters and social media followers. Thank you for all your invaluable support in 2021.
We couldn’t resist adding a little Hardy interpretation! The card pictured was sent by Thomas Hardy and his wife, Florence, to Ellen Titterington (known as Nellie) in 1926. Nellie was parlour maid at Max Gate from 1921 to 1928, and gave an interesting insight into life at the Hardy household:
“Max Gate in winter was a grim, cold house. Mr Hardy would not permit good fires…too much coal on the fire greatly disturbed him. The memory of his early days, when he was poor, must have remained with him and influenced his behaviour.”
The card is part of the Stevens-Cox collection held at the Dorset History Centre. Accession number: 11465.
Keep following us to find out how our Thomas Hardy exhibition for summer 2022 is progressing.
