A rope isn't going to hold me back...

This past Sunday I took part in Eldon House Behind the Ropes program. I found out about this program during Doors Open London. It gives members of the public the opportunity to literally go behind the ropes, venture up to the attic, and creep around the basement. There was only seven us in my group with one tour guide making it a very intimate affair.

The first room where we went beyond the rope was the library. There we could peer into the elaborate cabinet inherited by Lucy Reynolds (who married George Harris) from her very wealthy grandmother. Inside the cabinet were botanical books, filled with hand drawn pictures. Also found in the cabinet were little figurines collected by members of the Harris family on their travels to places like Egypt, India, and Turkey.

Our little group made it through the rest of the first floor, hearing stories and learning secrets about various pieces of furniture and other artifacts. We then made our way upstairs to explore the elegant bedrooms. The rooms are named for the colour which dominates the decor. We entered through the Pink Room and exited through the Blue Room. In the Blue Room features like the praying chair were pointed out, as well as a hidden place to go to the bathroom in the middle of night.

When then ventured up the narrow stairs to the attic. It is now used mainly for the storage of the Harris family's trunks which they took on their travels. Our excellent guide mentioned that she often wondered what kinds of wonderful treasures once inhabited those trunks. Spare bits of wallpaper dating back to the 1800's are also kept in the attic.

From the bright, spacious attic we went to the dank, crowded basement. Being carefully to duck, we were led around, and saw the foundation and original wooden logs that support the house. Also pointed out were the recent upgrades made to the foundation by the City of London to maintain the integrity of the structure.

After the tour was completed (it took about an hour), I had the opportunity to talk about the Harris family with my tour guide. She was extremely helpful, and answered all my questions about how much staff was required to run the household, staff turnover, and regarding the relationship between Lucy Reynolds and various members of the Harris family.

I think that programs like Behind the Ropes are essential to museum institutions. Allowing people to see parts of a museum that are usually hidden encourages repeat visitations. Many museums cannot afford to frequently rotate exhibits, discouraging patrons from coming back as they believe they have "already seen it all." Opening storage or rooms that are usually closed adds something new to see.

I had the privilege of working at the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre in Collections. Every Friday afternoon, myself and the other "Collections girls" opened up Artifact Storage. Visitors enjoyed being able to see where artifacts were kept when they were not on display. We answered questions about artifact preservation and what comprised the museums collection. Some people were shocked when they saw familar looking artifacts on the shelves, "I remember playing/using/having something like that and now it's in a museum!"

I believe that is especially important for museums like Eldon House to dismantle the ropes because of all the nooks and crannies, which are filled with Harris family treasures that were collected from around the world. The details of a cabinet or a fireplace can be even more breathtaking when one can take a closer look at the workmanship that went into its creation.