…a private showing curated by our son, Brendan

One of the unique features at the V&A Storehouse is the private showing of items that members of the public can request to see up close. You simply go into the on-line catalogue of items stored in The Storehouse and choose up to five items that you would like to see. There is about a two week wait so you have to book in advance.

Brendan curated our pieces for us based on our interests and family history. Last Friday we arrived at the Study Room, washed our hands, donned purple gloves and read the rules for handling our chosen items.

Kevin’s items came up first. The first item was a silk screened poster from 60s of the band Buffalo Springfield, the second a 1970s Canadian made telephone, the third a pair of trainers made on the 70s for Marks and Spencer’s, the fourth a 400 year old celestial globe made in Iran and the final item was an Irish bracelet made in the 1800s from horsehair.

My items included a theatre poster from a child’s puppet show held in the town of Magdeburg, where my mother came from, a bohemian glass vessel made in Schlesinger where my father was born, a pewter coffee pot made in Frankfurt, Germany where I was born, an 800 year old beaded banner made in Germany and one of the first pieces ever housed by the V&A over 150 years ago. My final piece was a large roll of screened fabric for household items made in Germany in the year I was born, 1952.

If you are planning a trip to the Storehouse I would highly recommend that you do some research in advance and book one of these free showings.