Talks

Tapestry return to the Garden Museum

15 May 2026, 3pm - 5pm

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Home > What’s on > Tapestry return to the Garden Museum

15 May 2026, 3pm - 5pm

Garden Museum

Booking information

£25 Standard
£20 Friends
£20 Young Fronds

Book Tickets BOOK LIVE STREAM

Join us for a special afternoon celebrating the return of the Garden Museum’s extraordinary Mortlake Tapestry, following its meticulous conservation.

Dating from the 1630s, the tapestry is a rare and remarkable object—thought to be the earliest depiction of a woman gardening in the Museum’s collection. After more than 300 hours of painstaking work by specialist conservators, this intricate silk and wool textile has been stabilised, restored, and prepared for display once again.

This event brings together the voices behind its revival. Hear from Zenzie Tinker and Ania Golebiowska, the conservators who undertook the delicate proces, from hand-dyeing threads to match the original palette, to reinforcing fragile warp threads and carefully stitching the tapestry onto a supportive linen backing. Alongside them, leading researchers such as Dr Catherine Horwood, will explore the tapestry’s historical context, shedding light on its place within the intertwined histories of gardening, craft, and women’s lives.

Curator Emma House will introduce the tapestry’s new display, reflecting on its significance within the Garden Museum’s collection and the vital role of public support in making its conservation possible.

The afternoon will conclude with a drinks reception—an opportunity to celebrate this shared achievement with fellow supporters, scholars, and enthusiasts of gardens, textiles, and history.

Don’t miss out on booking lunch or dinner in our Garden Cafe to accompany your day at the museum.

Speakers

Emma House

Emma House is Curator at the Garden Museum, a role she has held since 2015. She leads the development of exhibitions, collections, and research programmes exploring the cultural history of gardens and gardening. Her work brings historic collections into dialogue with contemporary audiences, and she led the campaign to acquire and conserve the Mortlake Tapestry.

Previously, Emma was Keeper of Fine Art at The Bowes Museum from 2004 to 2014, where she was responsible for the care, research, and display of the fine art collections. With over two decades of curatorial experience, her work is distinguished by a strong commitment to scholarship, interpretation, and public engagement. She is also a Trustee of Queer Britain.

Dr Catherine Horwood

Dr Catherine Horwood is a social historian with a particular interest in the history of women in horticulture. Her books include Gardening Women.Their Stories from 1600 to Today (Virago) and Beth Chatto. A life with plants (Pimpernel). Her latest biography, Penelope Hobhouse. A life in gardens, will be published in early 2027.

Zenzie Tinker

After a BA in the History of Design, Zenzie completed an apprenticeship in textile and tapestry conservation under Ksynia Marko in 1988 followed by the Museums Association Certificate in Textile Conservation in 1991. Zenzie worked as a conservator and senior conservator at the Museum of London and the Victoria & Albert Museum specialising in costume until 2003 when she left London to set up Zenzie Tinker Conservation in Brighton. Zenzie has served as an accreditation assessor for ICON for ten years and was also conservation advisor on the Heritage Volunteer Committee for the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS) until 2015. She is currently Advisor to the Royal Courts of Justice Legal Dress Collection where she is responsible for the care and display of the collection. She has researched, taught and published widely on the use of adhesives for textile conservation.