Christmas with the classics at American Museum

Richard Wyatt
The feature Christmas tree beside the grand staircase.
The feature Christmas tree beside the grand staircase. © American Museum

The American Museum in Britain at Claverton Manor in Bath has re-opened for its bumper Christmas season.

It’s been quite an undertaking for Collections Manager Kate Herbert who has to come up with a different seasonal spin for the museum’s 12 period rooms.

‘A Visit from Saint Nicholas’ by Clement Clarke Moore (1823)
‘A Visit from Saint Nicholas’ by Clement Clarke Moore (1823) © American Museum
The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier (2013)
The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier (2013) © American Museum

She’s plumped for a celebration of American literature so each room illustrates a scene from popular fiction – set in America.

Stand by for everything from Washington Irving’s The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow to Margaret Mitchell’s novel Gone With The Wind.

‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving (1820)
‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ by Washington Irving (1820) © American Museum

More information via www.americanmuseum.org

You may also be interested in viewing a time lapse film of the giant tree being installed. You can view it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTz44wwcxhg

 

Published by Richard Wyatt

Freelance Journalist, broadcaster, columnist and local historian. Director of Bath Newseum. Married and lives in Bath. Interested in local history, architecture and visual display in museums and urban spaces.