Bloomsbury Below Stairs

Discover the life of Grace Higgens at Charleston between 1920-1970 through and amazing exhibition at the British Library.

This small exhibition draws on the recently acquired archive of Grace Higgens (1904-83), sometimes called `the angel of Charleston', who worked for over 50 years as a housemaid at Charleston Farmhouse, Sussex, a country haven for the Bloomsbury Group (particularly the artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant) and their circle of unconventional and talented friends.

Intelligent and quick to learn, Grace had an engaging sense of humour; her letters and diaries paint an intimate and sometimes surprising picture of `below stairs' life at that place and time. The archive also includes photograph albums, film footage, scrapbooks and recipe books.

The exhibition runs until Sunday April 20th and is open 9.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday (open till 8pm on Tuesdays), 9.30am to 5pm on Saturdays and 11am to 5pm on Sundays and public holidays.

Find out more about events and exhibitions at the British Library.

How to get there

Underground/Rail: St Pancras and Kings Cross.

Bus the 10, 17, 30, 45, 46, 59, 63, 73, 91, 205, 214, 259 and 476 all serve nearby Kings Cross.