Royal Minstrels to Rock and Roll: 500 years of Music-Making in Richmond

An exhibition that aims to provide a taste of the area's rich musical history through an array of documents, photographs, paintings and artefacts, including a violinda, an instrument invented by John Hullah Brown of Richmond in the 1930s. The first historical records of music making locally relate to the Tudor court at Richmond Palace. Henry VIII is said to have been a talented musician and established 'The King's Musick', a body of musicians appointed to serve the court. This tradition was continued at Richmond Palace by Elizabeth I and, later, by George II and George III at their homes in Richmond and Kew. The show also focuses on other centres for music in the area, from the opening of Richmond Wells in the late 1600s to the present day. Exhibits include a poster advertising a concert by Paganini at the King's Theatre in 1834 and memorabilia of the Crawdaddy Club and the Eel Pie Island Hotel which, in the 1960s, witnessed the early careers of the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds, featuring Eric Clapton.