Stephanie Richards, Curator of Costume at Henfield Museum On the evening of the seventh of December 2022, the Friends of Henfield Museum Christmas tea was in full swing in the Henfield Hall. As the evening drew to a close, Alan, the museum curator, told me that an item had been …
Continue reading “The Henfield Stays – From the Workhouse to a School House”
In 2022, during renovation work at the former Henfield workhouse, a remarkable textile object was discovered tucked into a corner of the eaves: a heavily worn and repeatedly altered pair of stays, or bodices. The building dates from 1735-6, although the date of the garment itself remains uncertain. Its location …
Continue reading “A Garment in layers: investigating the Henfield Museum Stays”