Suitable reminder of glam rock
TV PICK OF THE WEEK
Secrets Of The Museum
Inside every museum is a hidden world, and now cameras have been allowed back behind the scenes at the world-famous Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
And although many of us have had to stay away over the last year, in the V&A’s workshops and storerooms the work to conserve some of the two million wonders in the museum’s collection has continued. In this second series of Secrets Of The Museum, we follow experts and conservators at work in this treasure trove of the nation’s favourite objects, as they breathe new life into fragile marvels, uncover hidden stories, and work tirelessly to keep the past alive for all of us.
In the first episode we meet Theatre and Performance keeper Geoff Marsh, who has just taken delivery of a rare survivor from one of pop’s most flamboyant periods: a red lurex suit, belonging to bass player Jim Lea from Slade. Also in this episode is a 500-year-old wax, modelled by the Renaissance master Michelangelo. This Michelangelo model, made as a template for a much larger sculpture, is one of the greatest treasures of the V&A.
Christ, St Paul And The Theological Virtues by Jacob Jordaens is a preparatory drawing that will feature in a display of Renaissance watercolours. However, the curator discovers that the surface is covered in white dots.
Unless conservator Alan can remove the white dots in time for the exhibition, the Flemish master may remain unseen by the public for many more years to come.