Chetham’s Library Tours
Chetham's LibraryPacked with historical facts and fascinating stories, tours of Chetham's Library are led by our expert staff and volunteers. Explore...
Our new exhibition, A Royal Tudor Bed and a Northern Rogue (Thursday 15 August – Wednesday 11 September) is a rare opportunity to see the original marriage bed made for Henry VII (the first Tudor King) and Elizabeth of York, as well as an infamous forgery. Alongside the exhibition, we are hosting a series of free talks.
An investigation of the deceptions of a 19th century forger to impress and distract with Helen Hughes.
George Shaw (1810 – 1876) was an architect, designer and antique collector – and, from 1842 a forger of furniture. Shaw presented his forgeries unpainted, ‘frosted with age’ and offered them to several aristocratic families as genuine family relics dating from the fifteenth century.
But by 1847 the Duke of Northumberland was beginning to have his suspicions about the seemingly endless supply of beds in good repair…
The question remains – was the Duke of Northumberland ever fooled by these works?
Visitors will be given the opportunity to view the Tudor bed exhibition at the end of the talk, and to ask Helen any questions they may have.
