THE EXPERT COLLECTOR Georgian Bath
Bath’s Rooms
A new exhibition putting Georgian life in the spotlight at Bath’s historic Royal Terrace is proving to be an invaluable aid to the collector
F
rom Jane Austen to Bridgerton, it seems we can’t get enough of the Georgians. An exhibition in Bath this month in one of the city’s best-known terraces – No.1 Royal Crescent – is shining a light on how a Georgian townhouse was both staffed and lived in. And, for collectors with a penchant for the era, its secrets serve up a wealth of understanding. Built between 1767 and 1774, at the height of Georgian fashion, No 1. provided lodgings for Regency high society which was then dubbed ‘the ton’, meaning good manners, ‘le bon ton’. The fictitious family at the heart of the immersive exhibition had arrived in Bath for the season. Father of three, Thomas, is the head of the household alongside
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Above The withdrawing room, © No.1 Royal Crescent, the Bath Preservation Trust Right No.1 Royal
Crescent, © David Bickerstaff
his wife, Amelia, two daughters, Charlotte and Alice, and wayward eldest son, Richard (who has a fondness for Bath’s more scurrilous opportunities). Curator, Dr Amy Frost, said: “Through the family and their servants, visitors will be able to understand what life was like for a range of people and ages, what they did and what shaped their lives.”
18TH-CENTURY BATH From 1714-1830, Bath was the place to be for outof-London social activity. Royalty, the aristocracy and commoners flocked to bathe in the spa waters. The population multiplied from 2,000 to 30,000 in just 100 years and, by 1801, Bath had become the eighth largest city in England. Dr Frost continued: “Most people in Bath from the upper levels of society did not actually
