A NEW exhibition exploring the life and work of one of the most celebrated British writers is coming to the Royal Berkshire Archives this week.
Agatha Christie: A Tribute to her Life and Work features items from the private collection of Gale Goddard alongside documents from the archives.
Gale Goddard is a private collector who has been collecting Agatha Christie memorabilia for over 20 years.
This is the fifteenth and final exhibition showcasing her collection.
Highlights include the only replica of the Torquay bust of Agatha Christie; a genuine Orient Express dinner setting and porter’s hat and waistcoat; and oil paintings by Sylvia Berger of Agatha Christie and two of the most famous portrayals of her characters– David Suchet as Hercule Poirot and Joan Hickson as Miss Marple.
Through Gale’s collection, the exhibition will tell the story of Agatha Christie’s life through objects demonstrating her time working as a nurse in the First World War and accompanying her second husband, Max Mallowan, on archaeological digs in modern day Iraq.
Her career as a writer, both of novels and plays, is then highlighted through books and programmes. Lastly, her two most famous characters, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, are celebrated with busts and displays from various adaptations.
The exhibition also draws on Christie’s Berkshire connections. For around 47 years of her life, Christie owned properties in Berkshire, and several significant events took place whilst she was living in the county.
The most famous is her disappearance from her Berkshire home in Sunningdale that took place in December 1926 – the centenary of which will be marked during the exhibition’s run.
She was discovered eleven days later in a hotel in Harrogate.
The archives hold the only known surviving copy of the missing persons poster, produced by Wokingham police, which will be on display.
Mark Stevens, County Archivist, said: “Berkshire old and new ran through Dame Agatha’s life – from ‘Styles’ in Sunningdale to Winterbrook House in Wallingford.
“We’re delighted that Gale Goddard has chosen the county for this final display of her fabulous collection and look forward to welcoming fans to see it.”
Agatha Christie: A Tribute to her Life and Work is showing at the Royal Berkshire Archives until Friday, December 18.
It is free to attend and no booking is required.
The exhibition is open normal opening hours: Tuesdays-Thursdays, 9am-5pm and Fridays, 9am to 4.30pm.
There will also be three late night openings at 8pm on Thursday, October 1; November 5, and December 3.
Full details available via: royalberkshirearchives.org.uk
