'Exploring Eliot' Collection launched online

Fans of George Eliot find out more about the author from the comfort of their own home.

Visitors to the online platform can explore specially chosen items from the “Exploring Eliot“ partnership collections including a piano purchased for her 50th birthday by her partner George Henry Lewes, now in the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, a pair of her kid leather house shoes from Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery and letters written by her from Nuneaton Library.

Some of the items on the website are on display regularly but others can be damaged by too much light so the website has made them more accessible.

Visitors to the website can discover the stories behind the objects, view short films about the collections and read articles about various aspects of Eliot’s life. 

Cllr Heather Timms, Warwickshire County Council portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate and Culture, said: 

“The Exploring Eliot collection is a fantastic assemblage of artifacts from the life and times of one of Warwickshire’s most famous daughters. For those items that are easily damaged by light and need conserving, this digital service will allow them to be enjoyed by more people than ever before, and for generations to come, from the comfort of their own homes.”

The website was funded by the prestigious Esmée Fairburn Collections Fund as part of “Exploring Eliot” project and is the culmination of the project’s many outcomes. Other outcomes include a singing group, engagement with young people to create films on Eliot, a reminiscence pack for older people and the development of an education pack. 

To find out more visit http://exploringeliot.org