You may not know it, but in the heart of Melbourne lies a treasure trove of Regency, Louis XV and Georgian architecture and curios – The Johnston Collection. Here, each carefully curated object tells of an era when private entertaining was the sphere of social influence. The drawing and dining room was the place to impress – before the appearance of restaurants.
The twilight tour is an opportunity to appreciate the historic and artistic offerings of the house, which balances preservation and restoration, embodied by the brightly polished silverware, which contrasts with dark, time-weathered mirrors that grace the walls. The current exhibition, Inspired by Women, is open for private visits, and celebrates the great taste and soft power of Regency women.Â
As you move through each room, a knowledgeable guide draws your attention to rare objects. One such object is a silver wine funnel, its purpose not for decanting fine Bordeaux, but for a child’s christening – a reminder of how ritual marked the milestones in a society when infant death was so commonplace.
The impressive displays of silverwork speak to the craftsmanship of French Huguenot silversmiths who brought their artistry to England, creating objects both functional and beautiful. The walls and upholstery are vibrantly coloured, revealing design hierarchies we may find surprising: white, far from being prestigious, was a poor person’s colour, while lushly bright hues signalled wealth, their pigments expensive to produce.
The artefacts of gambling culture reveal much about 18th century society – gaming tables where fortunes changed hands overnight, where women gambled with as much fervour as men. Fashions changed from hoop skirts to a straight silhouette, allowing swift movement between tables. A miser’s purse in the collection testifies to the financial anxieties that plagued even the aristocracy, whose gambling debts often led to catastrophic downfalls.
Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess Melbourne, emerges as a figure of great cultural influence within this milieu – a reminder that women were often engaging in significant undertakings to climb the social and economic ladder, beyond the historical record. Her hairstyles and accoutrements were coveted and copied far and wide.
The Johnston Collection beautifully illustrates how the emerging middle class of the 1700s eagerly climbed the social ladder, assembling collections that would signal their cultural capital. Without photography, nature was captured through commissioned paintings or natural history specimens, such as ostrich eggs and silk butterflies.
The fascination with chinoiserie speaks to Western misappropriations – English bone china sent to China for decoration, English glass reverse-painting mimicking Eastern techniques, symbols borrowed and often misunderstood, creating a hybrid aesthetic that was neither authentically Chinese nor European.
Perhaps most fascinating are the artefacts connected to Emma Hamilton, actress and courtesan, whose ménage à trois with Lord Nelson created scandal and fascination. Her theatrical ‘attitudes’ – performances where she embodied classical figures like Persephone while dancing with veils –revolutionised performance art. Nelson’s battle paintings and medals sit alongside decorative elements inspired by Pompeii’s discoveries: Greek key patterns and laurel leaves that captivated the imagination of 18th century designers.
Small details – such as silhouette portraits and the knowledge that used tea leaves were recycled for servants – complete this immersive glimpse into a stratified society where objects and paraphernalia were so significant. Locks of hair were preserved as mementos of loved ones in an age when death was ever-present.
Read: Exhibition review: Locals Group Show, Outré Gallery
The Johnston Collection doesn’t simply display objects; it reconstructs the intricate social stratus in which they existed, where a silver funnel or a gaming table tell us a great deal about human relationships and aspirations, even now.Â
Inspired by Women will be exhibited until 23 March at the Johnston Collection, East Melbourne.
