Dracula Returns to Derby - 101 years and Counting

Over recent years Derby has done a great job of celebrating its ties with Bram Stokers most famous novel ‘Dracula’ whenever possible. Much fanfare has been made about the stage premiere of Dracula at Derby Hippodrome in 1924 in recent years. And why not? Every ounce of culture and history should be celebrated however and whenever possible.
And so Pickford’s House Museums new exhibition ‘Dracula Returns to Derby - 101 years and Counting’ continues this theme of embracing Derbys dramatic gothic past.
The exhibition due to last until May 2026, consists of 3 rooms examining different aspects of the Dracula legacy.

I decided to pay the exhibition a visit on its first day of opening. My motives must have been quite clear when I arrived at Pickford's House as a staff member looked me up and down and after a quick glimpse of my Devilish Presley 'I Created a Monster' tshirt and inverted cross she quickly said 'Here for Dracula? Upstairs.'. I must be becoming a stereotype in my old age.

So up I go, past the history of a home to the realm of paper bats flurrying around the ceiling lights as if seeking some tasty insect morsels, flickering candles and the promising greeting of s vast linocut of Bela Lugosi.

The first room delves into the world of 1920s theatre culture, of Hamilton Deanes stage adaptation of Dracula, which was the first ever authorised adaptation of Dracula. Its world premiere at Derbys Grand Theatre exposed the story to high society and a whole new world for the first time.
Hints of Pickford houses former life as museum of costume can be seen as sequinned flapper dresses sit alongside old theatrical posters and items such as Hamilton Deane's cane.

Cabinets are filled with items such as correspondence and documents of Bram Stoker, Bela Lugosi's signature and a photo of his time treading the boards as the Count at Derby Hippodrome in 1951. A reprisal of his 1931 cinematic role that was the breakthrough of his career.
Different Dracula related publications are an interesting sight to see, my favourite of course features the face of my favourite Dracula; Christopher Lee. 

This familiar face who played Dracula numerous times over a 22 year period transitioned nicely into the next room of the exhibition, and my personal favourite. Dracula on the big screen, specifically Hammer Horrors adaptations of the novel fill this space.

With a timeline of Hammer adaptations through from (The Horror of) Dracula (1958) right through to The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires (1974) and a brief blurb about the history of Hammers Dracula for those less familiar with the absolute cinematic classics.
I was incredibly thrilled to see so many pieces of Hammer history on display in this small room. Original posters and promotional material, which is both tragically rare and depressingly expensive to acquire, meaning it has been pushed to the realms of museum pieces.
The AD1972 poster I happily decide I’d sell body parts to own. But with decidedly few organs to spare I resigned myself to just enjoying it in the moment, surrounded by various equally rich horror imagery from the Hammer archives, some set photographs, others foreign versions of posters. Its always great to see the artwork (and title) variations of international releases. And despite owning the book 'Art of Hammer' which features many poster variations there are still some on display which are new to my eyes. The piece de resistance, stood surrounded by scripts was the actual cape worn by Sir Christopher Carandini Lee in the Hammer productions of Dracula. An artefact alone worthy of visiting the exhibition for.

Id be lying if I said I didn't have an overwhelming urge to kneel down and worship this brooding great black cape, but I resisted the temptation, reluctant to look like a lunatic. But that is exactly the sort of reverence it awoke in me, quite unexpected but wholly honest. I imagine its how a christian may feel facing the Shroud of Turin. Sheer awe.

In that moment the simple but iconic piece of costume represented so much. My favourite actor of all time; Christopher Lee, all his movies, Hammer as a franchise, 50's, 60's and 70's Horror (which for me is the pinnacle of my favourite genre), of the dark, macabre and gothic. So many of the things which have shaped me since I was just a teenager and made me who I am today.
I found it hard to walk away from the cape and its great presence, but eventually managed it (though I confess to returning twice more for another glimpse before leaving the museum.)

In the third room waited something really rather different to the previous cases rich with Dracula history. In a way, the result of that history, a natural way for Dracula to progress into todays society and culture. 

Local sculptor Liam Brandon Murray's work is the focus of the final room. Murray creates, by his own definition 'wearable art'. These huge pieces are almost a 3D collage of all things considered 'gothic' in todays conception of the word. The huge ballgowns covered in skulls, gargoyles and religious iconography wouldn't look out of place in a steam punk masked ball.
Excess and extravagance exudes from every fibre of these outlandish creations. Initially one would think it impossible to physically wear these gowns, yet the video in a loop 'Brides of Dracula' proves this incorrect, however their practicality is clearly outweighed by their insane aesthetic. 

As well as clothing there is a large monochromatic throne, a doctors bag (which having just read the Stephen King novel 'Gerald's Game' conjured up some of its stranger scenes) and what I couldn't help but refer to as 'the disco coffin'. A life size coffin sculpture which pulsed with coloured light and stained glass in a strangely hypnotic way. 

This room of the exhibition and the pieces on display there essentially reflect an entire subculture which was spawned by Victorian gothic fiction and today forms the modern idea of 'goth'. Almost a cult, all be it one with many faces and personalities, and in more recent decades often a little more style over substance. And yet this exhibition gets back to the roots of gothic, to its literature, poetry, drama, mystery, with a dash of flamboyance. It spans the style and the substance behind the cult of Dracula.

Its always nice to end an exhibition with a little inspiration. And the selection of Dracula themed origami was exactly that. Never in my life had I considered making an origami bat, but I left Pickford's House Museum feeling it was now absolutely essential to my existence.

To plan your visit to the exhibition click here!

Alice Meille-Durose

La Specola - Florences Wax Wonderland

When I first found out about the Specola Museum in Florence it was a great revelation, and felt like a missing puzzle piece had finally been found. Some years ago I purchased the Taschen book ‘Encyclopedia Anatomica’, a beautiful publication filled with amazing images of anatomical, medical waxworks. I bought the book after visiting the Montpellier Museum of Anatomy in 2018 and struggling hugely with the fact that photography was forbidden within the great hall. These images were eventually to be my memento to a place I had waited years to visit and would probably never see again.

 
Fast forward a number of years and I’m informed about the Specola and it’s incredible collection of anatomical waxworks, Immediately I thought of Montpellier and my book. I rushed to look at it for reference, and to my utter surprise the vast majority of the images within its pages were actually taken at the Specola! I had never realised this amazing fact, but as soon as I did I knew I must visit the Specola.

 
Sadly it turned out the Specola was closed and had been for a number of years, and nobody seemed to know if it would ever reopen at all. Patience was all I had. Fortunately in spring 2024, the moment I thought would never come did! And the Specola Museum reopened to the public after much refurbishment, and of course Covid. 

I took the opportunity during my very next trip to Florence to visit the Specola, in particular their anatomical waxworks. 

 
Accessible by private tour only, the rooms of the collection are not open as part of general access to the museum, so if you’re hoping to visit then plan ahead. Booking isn’t possible and only a limited number of tours and spaces are up for grabs each day so don’t leave it to chance! I went to the museum at opening time to book on a tour later that day, and during our tour people were being turned away who hadn't taken the same precaution, so its definitely a good piece of advice.

Arriving early to take in some of the other sights of the museum before the last tour of the day, there is an incredible wealth of delights on display. A huge collection of minerals and gems from all over the world, an amazing taxidermy collection with some truly fascinating specimens on display and an incredibly unique display of wax dioramas, ranging from the cellular structures of plants to moral scenes of death, decay and sin. But each of these captivating sections of the Specola deserve their very own blog. But this blog is devoted to that macabre wonder of the anatomical waxworks ...

La Specola is the oldest scientific museum in the world. And when it comes to the wax works this museum is so rightly famed for, science is the name of the game. The anatomical diorama on display were commissioned as aids for teaching medicine in the 18th and 19th century. The detail in these models is absolutely unparalleled, with every vein, muscle and tendon crafted with loving accuracy. The grizzly reality of achieving this is that hundreds of bodies had to be dissected and observed to create just one model. And some models were even built up around bones to ensure accuracy.

The techniques used to create these intricate wax models are all but lost today. A skill so specific, but also groundbreaking, that it was seemingly developed and extinguished in the blink of an eye. This unfortunately means that conservation on the models is difficult, if nigh on impossible.  

The goal of the groundbreaking Florentine school of wax was to end the necessity for cadaver use and dissection when teaching anatomy to medical students. To essentially replace corpses with these wax teaching aids, as many of them as could be created. The visionary whose brainchild this was, Felice Fontana, had the patronage and support of the Grand Duke in his mission. Before long the specimens created could be found across Europe, and indeed the vast collection at the Montpellier Conservatory of Anatomy were actually created at the Specola (my Italian is by no means good, but good enough to understand when the guide told us this and I thought 'Of course they were!')

Today we are left a legacy of carefully crafted creations which could never fail to provoke response in those fortunate enough to visit. At times harrowing, shocking, distressing, but also thought provoking. Morality (and the future of ones soul) and Memento Mori were great themes and obsession of the 18th century across Europe. And whether intentional or not, these wax models are imbued with that in every fibre of their creation. To stare at tangles of tissue, bundles of nerves and networks of veins strewn across bone and muscle, the contemplation of ones own physical presence and fragile physiology cant help but surface in the mind. 

La Specola is a fascinating place where you'd be forgiven for thinking time had stood still. The entire aesthetic is a snapshot of the time which caused the creation of these models. When precision, craftsmanship and excellence were valued above all. Hauntingly beautiful models are housed in fine traditional wooden and glass cabinets, where the ageing glass hints at the years these displays have seen. And occasional white curled wigs starkly remind us the dead faces we observe through the mists of time were Georgian folk, condemned to the immortal legacy of being a waxwork. While a noble intent, but all the same a less than noble end for the soul we see before us.
The detailed drawings filling the walls made me wish I could afford the luxury of time in this incredible place. As an artist the possibilities are endless, as Felice Fontana truly intended.

To find out more info and plan your visit to La Specola click here!