Headstone Manor & Museum undertakes multiple projects per year with exhibitions, community engagement outreach work and co-curation.
Here you can find information on some of our past projects. If you would like to discuss a project or exhibition with us please check out our exhibitions page or email collections@headstonemanor.org. This page is not complete and will be continually added to. If you notice anything that may need changing, please do let us know. We hope to upload digital copies of panels and labels where we have them. Thank you.
Past Projects
Whitefriars: Beyond the Glass
One of our featured collections is from the Whitefriars Glass Limited Company. Our Whitefriars collection is presented together with other Whitefriars glass found in buildings and collections around Harrow on the website Whitefriars: Beyond the Glass.
You can learn more about this fascinating part of Harrow’s history here.
Celebrating Diwali in Harrow
In 2020, we were delighted to receive funding from the London Museum Development Diversity Matters Grant to develop a project and exhibition on celebrating Diwali in Harrow. The project features some stories from the community around the theme of food and was successful in documenting new stories and collecting new objects for the permanent collection.
#CovidInHarrow
Headstone Manor & Museum is undertaking a contemporary collecting project focused around the current pandemic the world is experiencing. It is unprecedented times. This is an on-going project. With lockdowns in place, increased use of social media platforms, food crises, economic setbacks, medical emergencies, and local government pressures, this period of uncertainty has affected us all. At the Museum, we believe it is a period of history that needs to be told for the generations to come. Therefore, we have launched a collecting project to capture the impact of the crisis as it unfolds in Harrow, with the view of framing it within the wider global story.
We are calling on the people of Harrow to submit materials for this collection. For more details please email collections@headstonemanor.org
Victory 75 Project
In May 2020, Europe marked the 75th Anniversary of Victory Day in Europe. To mark this momentous anniversary, Headstone Manor & Museum delivered a project with a wide range of activities and online content. In May 2021, we launched a physical exhibition, displaying some new stories and objects that was collected as part of the 2020 project.
To view the online exhibition click here
Pictures of the 2021 exhibition are below
Past Virtual Exhibitions
2022
Our Health Heroes:
Celebrating 132 years of Service at Harrow Cottage Hospital
25 October 2022 – 29 January 2023
2021
Harrow is the Place for Me: Documenting Windrush Stories in the Borough
01 October 2021 – 31 October 2021
2021
Kodak in Harrow: Celebrating 130 Years in Harrow
06 September 2021 – 30 September 2021
2021
My Home Away From Home: Untold Immigration Stories
10 May 2021 – 31 May 2021
2021
Celebrating my Aunties: The Resilience and Strength of Muslim Women in Harrow
10 March 2021 – 31 March 2021
2020-2021
South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM)
Headstone Manor & Museum took part in the first ever SAHM from July 17 2020 – August 18 2020. The aim was to capture immigration stories from the borough of Harrow through a virtual exhibition. Through this project, we engaged with new partnerships and members of our community. To view the virtual exhibition click here
In 2021, we participated again in SAHM and centred our focus on the theme of creativity and music. We collected new stories from the borough on aspects of South Asian music as well as provided a wider context on the theme within British culture. To view this virtual exhibition click here
To find out more about SAHM, organised by SAHM founders and Manchester Museum, visit their website here
Past Physical Exhibitions
2021
M for Menopause
28 September 2021 – 24 October 2021
This exhibition in our community cupboard was co-curated with M for Menopause’s founder, Madhu Kapoor. Madhu is a South Asian woman based in Harrow who faced a horrific menopause journey which affected her physically and psychologically in all aspects of her life. Her exhibition incorporated some quotes from her book due to be published in the near future.
2021
Nature in Harrow: From Eliza Brightwen to the Present
20 July 2021 – 29 September 2021
To mark the 50th Anniversary of the Harrow Natural History Society (HNHS), we co-curated an exhibition to celebrate Nature in Harrow. The story starts in the early 19th Century with Eliza Brightwen, Harrow’s most notable naturalist and a bestselling author. Using collections from the Museum and HNHS, the exhibition showcased the people and places in Harrow who have contributed to preserving Harrow’s natural spaces. This was a rare opportunity to see original objects from Eliza’s personal collection and the Museum’s Natural History Collection.
2021
Harrow through the Heart – Landscapes by Alexandra Veres
15 June 2021 – 11 July 2021
Alexandra Veres celebrates beauty through her art, which is informed by the culture, experience and knowledge she has accumulated over a lifetime; centuries-old Headstone Manor was the perfect backdrop for an exhibition of her plein-air local scenes, featuring as they so often do the historic architecture she is passionate about. Through her draughtsman’s line and devotion to truth, these images of Harrow landmarks will resonate with all those who live in this remarkable borough and beyond.
2020
The Intelligent Instinct
The Intelligent Instinct by Jane McAdam Freud, January 20 2020 – extended to September 27 2020.
Due to the current pandemic, this exhibition was partly put online at the latter stage as the Museum was subjected to a national lockdown at that time.
To view the digital exhibition via Pinterest, click here and watch the video below for an exclusive chat with Jane McAdam Freud.
2019
Harrow: A Music Hub
10 September 2019 – 8 January 2020
This exhibition was located in our visitor centre. Rick Wakeman was interviewed about his life and start of career in Harrow and a small exhibition was curated based on his story.
2019
Painting to Music
10 September 2019 – 8 January 2020
This exhibition was located in our community cupboard space in the Parlour room within the Manor House. Mini Museum participants painted to different styles of music from Harrow including Handel and Elton John and some of these paintings were put on display within the context of the main exhibition.
2019
Music Harrow!
10 September 2019 – 8 January 2020
This exhibition was located in our main exhibitions room. A group of Young Curators worked to research music in Harrow and created an exhibition that covered a huge variety of it. The research included trips to St Mary’s Church, Herga Folk Club, The Foundling Museum, and Grim’s Dyke Hotel.
2019
My Home
4 May 2019 – 01 September 2019
This exhibition was in the visitor café centre. Home was chosen through an ‘Add Your Stories’ card that had been left. Mayfield House in Pinner is a 19th Century house but the original house was a Medieval farm building. Photos of the house were shared, alongside photos of the inside of other Harrow homes, collected through a social media call out.
2019
Thoughts of Home
4 May 2019 – 01 September 2019
This exhibition was in the community cupboard space where 3D houses were created in a museum workshop by Harrow people to reflect their own homes, or the homes of their memories or dreams. The workshop was led by Watford Recyling Arts Project and used all recycled materials.
2019
A Place to Call Home
4 May 2019 – 01 September 2019
This exhibition was in our main exhibitions room. It featured objects relating to the home: e.g. light fittings, locks, tiles, wattle and daub and told the changing story of houses in Harrow.
2019
A Snapshot of Harrow
15 January 2019 – 28 April 2019
This exhibition was in our visitor centre case under Our Stories. This exhibition focused on objects and stories of one of our volunteer’s father. John Stratford’s father who worked at the Kodak factory and this display showcased his story.
2019
Colourful Stories
15 January 2019 – 28 April 2019
This exhibition was in our community cupboard and showcased the story of Winsor & Newton’s paint supplies and featured three stories from people who worked at the factory.
2019
More than Brushstrokes
15 January 2019 – 28 April 2019
This exhibition was in our main exhibitions room. This was a community based exhibition which showcased works by artists from the Whitefrairs Studios. Some of these used Winsor & Newton paints which was a highlighted feature. There was also a case with a brief history of Winsor and Newton objects and Hamilton brushes.
2019
Our Museum
This exhibition was in the Visitor Centre Case. 1200 years of Headstone’s history, as told through cups!
2018
Mayor of Harrow
This exhibition was in the Visitor Centre Case. As part of the women in Harrow series, we interviewed the current mayor as the first female Muslim mayor.
2018
The Women of Harrow
This exhibition was in the parlour room. A group of 10 women worked with artist Becci Kenning to paint a self portrait which included personal quotes.
2018
Suffrage in Harrow
The story of Suffrage in Harrow in the main exhibitions room. Research included visiting the Women’s Library To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the vote, this exhibition showcased stories of women in Harrow who had been active in the suffragettes and suffragists.
2018
Fix It Harrow
The story of the FixIt Facebook community group. The Museum asked the group what they would recommend to do in Harrow if there was a Holidays at Home scheme on now. Contributors comments were made to look like postcards and displayed in trunk case. Panels included information about the FixIt has done within the community.
2018
The Day the Fair Came to Headstone
Family curators responding to the holiday at homes exhibition. Families attended free workshops at Harrow libraries hearing about the Holidays at Home scheme at Headstone. They looked at photos and discovered relevant handling objects. Families then created artwork including circus performers.
2018
Holidays at Home
This exhibition was in the main exhibitions room and showcased Second World War Holidays stories on home including barn theatre and activities at Headstone Manor & Museum.
2018
Harrow from the Air
03 April 2018 – 01 July 2018
Harrow Mencap recreated famous buildings in Harrow including birds eye view maps!
2018
The Boy Airman: An absolute stranger to fear World War One through a Kodak Lens
03 April 2018 – 01 July 2018
Based on the book of the same name, the final exhibition showcased illicit images taken by a young pilot (Hugh Petty) during his service in the RAF including the surrender of German forces in the First World War.
2017
Tea Tales
09 December – 03 April 2017
To celebrate the opening of our new museum parlour, the Harrow Association of Disabled people decorated tea cups with images of their lives in Harrow.
2017
Whitefriars – Behind the Glass
09 December – 03 April 2017
This exhibition celebrated the Young Roots NHLF community project, focusing on Whitefriars glass and objects made by Harrow College Students
2017
Tabla Drums
April 2017
The story of our newly acquired drums, and how they connected a local harrow beautician with her Indian heritage.
2017
Whitefriars Reimagined – Stained Glass Window
April 2017
Stained glass window showcasing Harrow’s history through original techniques and using original Whitefriars glass
2017
Our Museum
April 2017
An exhibition on the restoration including a slideshow of before and after photos.
2016
Headstone Manor and Museum Restoration
September 2016 – December 2017
An exhibition on the restoration including a slideshow of before and after photos.
2016
Punk Harrow
01 June 2016 – 21 August 2016
Focusing on art work by local sculptor Cheryl Gould, ‘Punk Harrow’ explores the impact that the Harrow School of Art had on Punk culture and what the concept of punk itself is.
2016
Great Fire
This exhibition marked the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London.
2016
A Museum for Harrow
This exhibition marks the 30th birthday with supporting volunteer contributions and memories.
2015
Whitefriars
This exhibition showcased a display of millefiori paperweights
2015
First World War
A student lead memorial project about people from Harrow whose lives were affected by WW1, including those on the front line. Research gathered for this exhibition supported our future permanent exhibition on the topic.
2015
Restoring Bluebell Heath at Stanmore Common
The Museum supported Harrow Nature Conservation Forum’s HLF project by hosting an exhibition together.
2015
Our Harrow: A Community Project
This community project focused on locations of harrow, such as the Mosque and the Shopping Centres
2015
Mrs Beeton: Harrow’s First Domestic Goddess
This exhibition focussed on Mrs Beeton and Victorian Harrow in conjunction with young people with disabilities
2014
Big and Small
This exhibition was a single case with a display of loan box objects relating to the themes of big and small.
2014
Good Ol’ Roxey – Exploring South Harrow
15 October 2014 – 04 January 2014
Don Walter, a Harrow based historian and author, has provided Headstone Manor Museum with a rare opportunity to re-live the Roxeth of the 19th and 20th centuries through a series of historic photographs
2014
Our Harrow
10 September 2014 – 12 October 2014
Part of the Piloting Participation Project with the Geffrye Museum, curated by Young People from Harrow.
2014
A Time Travellers Guide to Medieval Harrow
04 June 2014 – 07 September 2014
Repeat of the 2010 exhibition, condensed and printed to share with audiences
2014
Harrow Remembers: The Great War
01 March 2014 – 01 June 2014
Focusing on Harrow. Part of the centenary of WWI.
2013
Whitefriars
July 2013
This exhibition display showcased a number of items from the Whitefriars collections within a single case
2013
Daniel Dancer – The Miser of Harrow
October – December 2013
A Community art project in conjunction with the Local Studies Library and Harrow College to tell the story of Daniel Dancer, the infamous miser of Harrow Weald.
2013
Harrow’s History
July 2013
This exhibition was funded through a legacy donation and created to give the museum content.
2013
Chandos
July 2013 – October 2013
This exhibition worked alongside Chandos Arts and Crafts Society
2013
Celebrating the Hill
January 2013 – July 2013
In partnership with Harrow School, St Mary’s Church and the Harrow Hill Trust.
2012
Friends of Harrow Museum & Heritage Centre
December 2012
The Friends had won an award and this was displayed within a single case.
2012
Royal Exhibition
October 2012
This exhibition displayed objects to do with royalty in line with the jubilee.
2012
Little and Large Objects
August 2012
Objects were displayed from the handling collection mini museum session
2012
Sixty Faces of Harrow
October – January 2012
To celebrate the year of the Diamond Jubilee, a wonderful exhibition reflecting on the past 60 years in Harrow and displaying sixty faces of Harrow today.
2012
Hidden Minds
August – October 2012
A fascinating and revealing insight into the lives of employees and ex-patients of Shenley Mental Hospital, once called an asylum, told by the people themselves in their voices and in images. A Heritage Lottery Fund – Your Heritage project organised and exhibited by Mind in Harrow and oral history volunteers. This was a touring exhibition.
2012
Olympic Celebrations
April – July 2012
This exhibition showcased the history of the Olympics, Olympic connections to Harrow, plus community art project by local children.
2012
Lost Places
January – April 2012
This exhibition remembers the once well-known places in Harrow and Pinner, which are now gone or have changed dramatically.
2011
Whitefriars
November – January 2011
This exhibition looked at behind the scenes at the Whitefriars factory and those who worked there.
2011
Lets Play!
August – October 2011
This exhibition was part-curated by a local school, this exhibition uses the museum’s collection of toys to show how play has changed through time.
2011
A Few of our Favourite Things
April – July 2011
This exhibition was curated by previous managers and 2011 staff and volunteers who chose their favourite objects for display.
2011
Our Sporting Life
January – March 2011
This exhibition was an external exhibition from the Rugby Museum, with additional details about Harrow’s sporting life
2010
White Out!
July 2010
This exhibition was an art installation throughout the Manor House.
2010
One Community: Through the lens of Dermot Carlin
05 November 2010 – January 2011
This exhibition continues the story of 20 residents from Harrow’s diverse communities, using the work of the Borough Photographer, Dermot Carlin. From an 89-year-old shorthand typist at Bentley Priory to a youth worker who turned his back on a gang.
2010
Moats, Manors & Muck; A Time Travelers Guide to Medieval Harrow
16 July – 31 October 2010
The year 2010 marks the 700th anniversary of the building of Headstone Manor! But what was life like for the residents of Harrow’s manors and villages during this period? Step back into the past in this family friendly exhibition to discover more about the marvellous – and sometimes mucky – world of Medieval Harrow!
2010
Bells and Baldricks – Life as a Morris Dancer!
23 April – 11 July 2010
Curated by Harrow Museum’s resident group, the Merrydowners Morris, this exhibition explored the history of Morris dancing. This traditional English form of dance has its roots entwined with major historical events – from the battles of the crusades to the factories of the industrial revolution. The exhibition formed part of the celebrations for the Merrrydowners 20th anniversary
2010
Historic Views of London
14 January – 18 April 2010
‘Historic Views of London’ presents a selection of photographs from the collection of B E C Howarth-Loomes, an important collector of stereo images, early photographs and associated equipment. Featuring images held by the National Monuments Record, the public archive of English Heritage – the exhibition is based on the English Heritage book of the same name by Dr Ann Saunders MBE. A special emphasis is placed on images of the Kodak factory in Harrow.
2009
Second World War
2009-2016
This more longer temporary exhibition showcased the Manor House during the era of WWII using collections to dress the various rooms.
2009
Chandos Christmas Art and Crafts
19 November – 19 December 2009
2009
Steam In! – Trains and Change in Harrow
03 September – 14 November
From Mrs Beeton, to the Stanmore Rattler, hear the tales of Harrow’s railways past and present
2009
Dig Harrow!
02 July – 30 August 2009
This exhibition showcased archaeology from the Stone Age to the Anglo- Saxons in Harrow.
2009
Faiths in Harmony
05 March – 05 April 2009
Each faith from the Council created their own panel on their religion in harrow, showing mutual understanding and respect.
2009
2009
Fine Art by Fred Ward
08 January – 01 March 2009
This exhibition celebrated the local artist, Fred Ward
2008
Connections: Hidden British Histories
03 November – 15 December 2008
Stories of Asian, Black and Jewish immigrants to the UK and their shared experiences. This was a travelling exhibition.
2008
Off With Their Heads; The Harrow of Henry VIII
03 September – 02 November 2008
This exhibition is about Tudor Harrow.
2008
A Slice of Famous Harrow Life
06 June – 31 August 2008
This exhibition focused on the diverse stories of famous people from Harrow.
2008
Victorians
19 March – 03 June 2008
This exhibition focused on the story of Victorian Harrow and was a travelling exhibition.
2008
Kodak in Art
07 February – 15 March 2008
This exhibition was an access all areas paintings of the Kodak factory. Juliet, the artist, spent a year on site prior to the partial demolition and completed over 40 artworks, capturing the dramatic changes.
2007
Retail in Harrow
08 November 2007 – 03 February 2008
This exhibition was curated by the Friends of Harrow Museum
2007
Relative Relations by Jane McAdam Freud
12 July 2007 – 30 September 2007
An exhibition of artwork exploring ‘what is a relationship?’ Inspired by the antiquities collected by Sigmund Freud.
1990s-2014
Aspects of Harrow’s History
1991 – 2014
During this period there was a series of displays and panels showcasing aspects of Harrow’s history including farming, industry and home life. This was both upstairs and downstairs in the Granary as well as a small case in the Great Barn. Some of these exhibition displays were most likely carried out by Arts Culture Harrow.