I can think of two places that we visited where I enjoyed the house more than the gardens. The first was Greenway, not for the house itself, which was surprisingly small and cramped, but for the history behind it and the fascinating mementos on display.
Agatha Christie and her husband Max Mallowan were enthusiastic collectors. You can see their collections on display throughout the house - European and Oriental ceramics, pottery, African tribal masks, Egyptian artifacts, Tunbridge ware, china, trinkets, and books.
The Morning Room has a portrait of Agatha Christie as a child and her doll Rosie, sitting in a chair -
The Drawing Room was where the family would gather in the evenings. Christie would entertain guests by reading chapters from manuscripts of her latest books.
Agatha Christie's bedroom. Max always slept on a smaller portable traveling cot (you can see part of it in the foreground). It was his favorite bed and he carried it with him on all of his archaeological travels. Now here is an interesting story that a tour guide told us - Max died in that bed in 1978 and some twenty-odd years later, his son died in the same bed. However, I had to have heard him incorrectly because from what I've read, he did not have children. Now I'm wondering what the real story is!
Christie's dressing room -
The kitchen with mid-twentieth century appliances and more pottery - Agatha Christie loved food and she enjoyed cooking.
A page from one of her cookbooks -
And a letter from the Ministry of Food concerning an application to sell potatoes that they grew -
First editions of her books -
The library and the famous frieze painting. During World War II, the house was used by the Coast Guard as lodging for 40 or so men. Lieutenant Lee Marshall, who was also an artist, painted the frieze. After Agatha Christie and her husband were allowed to return on Christmas day, 1945, she was told that the walls could be painted again but she wanted to keep it.
This story intrigues me but I find it baffling. First, I think it would be terrible to have to give up your house for years, although I know this was a common thing during the war years in England. Secondly, I can't imagine that this man had the audacity to paint on her walls! The mind reels...
(Visited May 12, 2005)
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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ReplyDeleteIt's a fascinating peek into an era not too far in the past, showing how affluent folks used to live, when suitcases didn't have wheels, and the servant carried your luggage to the car. All those trinkets and mementoes from around the world, a life well lived.
ReplyDeleteChavli
Getting kicked out and having your walls painted! I can't imagine, but I do know I'd be irritated. The kitchen is my favorite room, with that nice big window. I can imagine cooking in that space. I wonder what the true story is about the son & the cot?
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