GEORGE Eliot fans the world over can explore the Warwickshire author’s life thanks to a new digital service.
Warwickshire County Council (WCC) has launched a new website called Exploring Eliot to enable people to find out more about the novelist – whose real name was Mary Ann Evans – from the comfort of their own home.
Visitors to the online platform can explore specially chosen items from the ‘Exploring Eliot’ collections including a piano purchased for her 50th birthday by her partner George Henry Lewes, a pair of her kid leather house shoes and letters written by her.
Some of the items on the website are on display regularly but others can be damaged by too much light so the website has made them more accessible.
Enthusiasts can discover the stories behind the objects, view short films about the collections and read articles about various aspects of Eliot’s life.
WCC culture spokeswoman Heather Timms said: “The Exploring Eliot collection is a fantastic assemblage of artefacts from the life and times of one of Warwickshire’s most famous daughters. For those items that are easily damaged by light and need conserving, this digital service will allow them to be enjoyed by more people than ever before, and for generations to come, from the comfort of their own homes.”
The website was funded by the Esmée Fairburn Collections Fund. Other aspects of the project include a singing group, engagement with young people to create films on Eliot, a reminiscence pack for older people and the development of an education pack.
Visit www.exploringeliot.org for more details.
