National Trust cover-up of male art prompts flood of complaints
WHEN the National Trust decided to stage an exhibition celebrating Lady Armstrong, wife of a 19th-century industrialist, it hoped to start a conversation about women forgotten by history.
Instead, it prompted a deluge of complaints. Rather than fill the house, Cragside in Northumberland, with artefacts illustrating Lady Armstrong’s life, the project covered up artworks in the house that featured men.
Visitors who had paid up to £49.50 for a family ticket found paintings draped with sheets and statues wrapped in bags. It was reported that staff had to empty the “suggestions box” several times a day due to the volume of written complaints.
Kate Stobbart and Harriet Sutcliffe, the artists behind the idea, said: “The overwhelming impression you get is that it’s jam-packed with information about Lord Armstrong and his many, many achievements.
“In spite of all our endeavours to give her a voice, we weren’t able to and as a result we opted to look at how women are represented there.
“What does it look like for a young girl going in when the house is rammed full of men?”
The Trust yesterday admitted the idea, entitled The Great Cragside Cover-up, had backfired.
A spokesman said: “We encourage our properties to test new ways of telling their stories. Sometimes it doesn’t work as we intended and we accept the feedback we have received.”
Jim Herbert told BBC Newcastle: “I fail to see how hiding exhibits deemed as male can do anything to encourage female achievement.” The 1st Baron Armstrong was regarded as the father of modern artillery.