A brush with the past at A la Ronde

Have you ever bought a postcard as a souvenir of a visit? Over two hundred years ago, cousins Jane and Mary Parminter from A la Ronde did just that.

While on their grand tour of Europe they collected 39 Gouaches and a fan from Mount Vesuvius. These will be on display at the 16-sided property throughout May as part of a ‘Hidden House’ programme which showcases items in the collection that visitors cannot usually see.

Gouaches are much like modern day postcards. They were printed from engravings and then coloured using a transparent paint called Gouache. With their passion for craft, Jane and Mary customised their Gouaches by pasting borders around the edges of each card and a loop on the back to display them to visitors.

Emma Kay, Visitor Experience Manager at A la Ronde, said: “The Gouaches are fascinating. Each one shows different characteristic about the places the two cousins visited; and many include costumed characters such as a mandolin player, chestnut trader, a couple dancing the ‘Tarantella’ and a ‘gelato’ stand in Italy. We are particularly excited to be able to show items not usually on display, many of the staff and volunteers haven’t even seen them until now.”

Next month, the 16 bibles at A la Ronde will be the focus of ‘Hidden House’, along with the bible box.

A la Ronde is open seven days a week. The grounds and tea room are open from 10.30am until 5.30pm, with last order at 5pm; and the house is open from 11am, with last entrance at 4pm.