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News Release
Office of News and Information
212 Whitehead Hall / 3400 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218-2692
Phone: (410) 516-7160 / Fax (410) 516-5251
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November 19, 1996
CONTACT: Leslie Rice
lnr@resource.ca.jhu.edu
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"Traditions in Excellence: 100 Teapots from the
Norwich Castle Museum" An Exhibit at Homewood House
Museum
"What would the world do without tea? How did it
exist?"
Sydney Smith 1771-1845
English writer, clergyman
Beginning Saturday, Jan. 11, Homewood House Museum will
offer visitors a
rare look at the history of one of this country's earliest and
most engaging
social customs. For three months, a traveling exhibition of 100
teapots from
the acclaimed Twining Teapot Gallery at the Castle Museum in
Norwich, England,
will be on display at the historic Federal period mansion on The
Johns Hopkins
University's Homewood campus, 3400 N. Charles St. in Baltimore.
The exhibition, titled "Traditions in Excellence: 100
Teapots from the
Norwich Castle Museum," explores the custom of tea preparation
and tea
drinking in the 18th and 19th centuries through its most
prominent object, the
British teapot. The 100 teapots in this exhibition are the finest
examples
culled from the Twining Teapot Gallery's remarkable collection of
some 3,000
teapots.
By the 1790s in both America and Great Britain, the ritual
of tea-time
held an important place in upper-class social life and commanded
certain rules
for preparation and presentation. Visitors to the exhibit will
see why part of
the attraction of tea drinking lay in the beautiful and delicate
teapots it
required. In those days, teapots were status symbols and tea
drinking provided
the opportunity for people to show off their wealth and taste.
The history of the British teapot cannot be separated from
that of
Twinings, which is believed to be the world's oldest tea
merchant, operating
from the same location in Strand, London, since 1706. Twinings
has provided
funds to house, catalogue and promote the collection at the
Norwich Castle
Museum.
Samuel Twining, a ninth generation Twining family member and
director of
Twinings Ltd., will visit Homewood House from Friday, Jan. 10,
until Sunday,
Jan. 12, to meet with visitors and talk about the history of tea
and the fine
art of serving tea.
Note to press: Samuel Twinings will be the United States and
available for
telephone interviews to be taped for future broadcast Dec. 3
through Dec. 5.
The exhibit will appear at Homewood House from Jan. 11
through March 25.
Homewood House is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4
p.m. and
Sundays from noon until 4 p.m. Following is a schedule of
special lectures and activities related to
the Traditions In Excellence exhibit. Reservations may be
obtained by calling
(410) 516-5589.
Date |
Event |
Friday, Jan. 10
12:30 p.m. |
Press opening luncheon at
Homewood with Sam Twining. |
Saturday, Jan. 11
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
Public opening of exhibit. |
Saturday, Jan. 11
(reservations required) |
Special Lectures with Sam
Twining
1 p.m. -- "The History of Tea."
3 p.m. -- "The Proper Making and Serving of Tea."
Note: These will be small, personal groups of no more than 25.
Afternoon tea
will be served. $8 for one session, $12 for both. Reservations
are taken on a
first-come, first-serve, basis. |
Sunday, Jan. 12
Noon to 4 p.m. |
Sam Twining will again be
available to meet with museum visitors. |
Saturday, Jan. 25
2 p.m., Merrick Barn Theater |
"Tales from a Well Traveled
Teapot." A lecture and tea with Jennifer
Goldsborough. Goldsborough, a nationally renowned historian, will
present an
overview of tea, the social custom in England and America. She
will discuss
the development of tea equipment and accessories. $15.
Reservations required. |
Sunday, Feb. 2
1 to 3 p.m. |
A Teddy Bear Tea Party. A grand
tea party for children and their teddy bears.
$5. Reservations required. |
Saturday, Feb. 15
2 to 4 p.m. |
Valentine's Day Tea. Tea and
sweets at the Johns Hopkins Club. $20.
Reservations required. |
Wednesday, Feb. 26
Noon, in the Clipper Room of Shriver Hall. |
Tea and Sympathy: The Ritualization of an
English Custom," a lecture by Sidney
Mintz, William L. Straus Jr. Professor in Anthropology. Free.
Sponsored by the
Office of Special Events Wednesday Noon
series. |
Tuesday, March 25
10 a.m., Merrick Barn Theater. |
Discovery Day with Letitia Roberts of
Sotheby's. Roberts, senior vice
president and head of the Porcelain Department of Sotheby's will
evaluate your
porcelain or ceramic objects. Evaluation of one object is
included in the
admission, evaluation of subsequent objects will be made for an
additional
fee. $10.
information, send e-mail to
dro@jhu.edu. |
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