Exhibition Feature: Crown to Couture

The Royal Studies Podcast

This episode features an interview with Polly Putnam and Holly Marsden, two of the team responsible for Historic Royal Palaces' innovative 'Crown to Couture' exhibition which is running until 29 October 2023. To find out more about the exhibition, follow this link and most importantly, have a listen to this episode to hear more about the inspiration behind it and the similarities between the royal court and celebrities on the red carpet!
Guest Bios:
Polly Putnam is a collections curator at Historic Royal Palaces. She is responsible for the management, research, display and interpretation of collections and displays post 1650 at Hampton Court Palace. She has a particular responsibility for Kew Palace. She has been the curator for numerous projects including the Chocolate Kitchens at Hampton Court and the restoration of the Great Pagoda in Kew Gardens. At Kensington palace, she curated Victoria Woman and Crown which is explored Victoria’s self-fashioning and the intersection of her public role and personal life. She is the lead curator for Crown to Couture. Prior to this she was assistant curator for Leeds Museums and Galleries where she led on numerous restoration projects, displays and exhibitions.
Holly Marsden is currently completing her PhD through the AHRC’s Collaborative Doctoral Partnership scheme at the University of Winchester and Historic Royal Palaces, having previously studied Queer History for her MA and History of Art for her undergraduate degree. Her thesis examines the multiple identities of Queen Mary II in the context of queenship, culture and politics in the seventeenth century. As part of her PhD, Holly completed a curatorial student placement with Polly Putnam on 'Crown to Couture.' Previous placements also include working in the curatorial team of the Tudor to Regency galleries for the National Portrait Gallery’s ‘Inspiring People’ re-opening project and on Historic Royal Palace's ‘Queer Lives’ immersive theatre tours.