“In the past, many of the contributions of women have been pushed to the edges of history or their stories overlooked altogether. We want to use this anniversary year to redress the balance and to make sure the stories of women who contributed to the empowerment of others are given the prominence they deserve.”
The video and exhibition form part of the Trust’s ‘Women and Power’ theme for the second year of its ‘Challenging Histories’ programme which shares, celebrates and unpicks complex or hidden histories relevant to National Trust places.
The video focuses on the death of Fanny’s husband Admiral Edward Boscawen.
Luke Pendrell, whose art work explores the relationship between technology and the supernatural, said: “Ghosts are one of the ways that we think about past events. In popular fiction, ghosts are often associated with a key emotional moment, imprinted on a space and endlessly repeated. They are also associated with communicating messages, injustices and things that have been overlooked or hidden. Much in the way that the story of Fanny and the important but often overlooked work of the Bluestockings has become hidden. The traumatic moment when Fanny discovers the death of her husband is not just deeply emotional, it’s also a pivotal moment in her journey to empowerment.”