Twilight Talk-From Daejeon to Durham: stories from the exhibition 'Knitted together: the lives and legacies of Richard and Joan Rutt'
27 February 2025 - 27 February 2025
5:30PM - 6:30PM
Museum of Archaeology Palace Green Library Palace Green Durham DH1 3RN
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Free and all welcome.
Join Curator of the Korean Collections, Lauren Barnes to learn more about our current temporary exhibition, 'Knitted Together: the Korean lives and legacies of Richard and Joan Rutt'. In this talk, Lauren will share stories of two of the main donors to the Oriental Museum's Korean collection, Richard and Joan Rutt, and give an insight into their fascinating collection and its journey from Daejeon in South Korea, to the Oriental Museum in Durham.
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The Korean Collection at the Oriental Museum is one of the largest in the UK. The story of its development is intrinsically linked to Richard and Joan Rutt who lived in South Korea from 1954 - 1974. Whilst there, they immersed themselves in Korean culture and the objects that they donated to the museum reveal their diverse interests in Korean literature, history, religion, and culture, as well as reflecting the immense changes that South Korea was undergoing following the Korean War in the 1950s.
The talk will give an insight to the 'behind-the-scenes' work involved in the exhibition and reveal the impact of the donation to the Oriental Museum, explore stories from the current temporary exhibition, and share the results of recent research into the Rutt Collection. The current exhibition focuses on the Rutt's lives in Korea, but also extends to their return to the UK, where Richard Rutt became known as the 'knitting bishop' for his passion for knitting, and the talk will also discuss these non-Korean objects that shed light on Richard and Joan's lives.
Free and all welcome. Please book through Eventbrite or by calling Palace Green Library on 0191 334 2932.
This talk is part of the Thursday Twilight openings at Palace Green Library. Find out more about the museums and collections from across Durham University, including Archive and Special Collections, the Art Collection, Cosin's Library, Durham Castle Museum, the Museum of Archaeology, and the Oriental Museum.
The World Heritage Visitor Centre and the Museum of Archaeology are also open until 7pm during the Twilight Openings.