Solved – the mystery of the Blenheim Palace Great Hall graffiti
Conservators at Blenheim Palace say they’ve been wowed by help from the public, after their appeal to solve the mystery of the decades-old graffiti they discovered whilst working on the vital £12 million restoration of the Palace roof, which includes the conservation of priceless paintings in the Great Hall.
As well as being contacted by the grandson of one of the signatories, the team working at Britain’s Greatest Palace have solved the intriguing inscription they found high up in the Great Hall, which reads ‘F. R. Rainbow, 292 Abingdon Rd, Oxford, Vacuum cleaner, Feb 10th 1931’ – thanks to local historian Liz Woolley, who contacted them with the following information:
“This is Frederick Rainbow; he appears at that address in the 1939 register I have attached. As you can see, he was managing director of the Vacuum Cleaner & Transport Co (which hired out “Machine Carpet Beaters”). Later a removals firm called Rainbows operated from the same address. If you look in Kelly’s street directories, you’ll find references to both companies.”
The mystery of the graffiti which reads ‘These windows was (sic) varnished by G T Higgs 1921 Oxford’ was also solved, thanks to an email from his grandson who lives in the USA.
Ray Higgs wrote: “I just received an email from a cousin, who sent me a clip from the BBC about graffiti found at Blenheim Palace. One of them was by GT Higgs (George Thomas Higgs), my grandfather, who started GT Higgs & Sons, and lived in Hayfield Road, Oxford. He was joined by my dad, Dudley Higgs and his brother John Higgs, who ran the business until 1971. They expanded from painting and decorating into building work, which included the flats located opposite the Oxford Motel in Wolvercote.”
Blenheim Palace has also had a large number of responses from across the business, including tip-offs and support from the Gardens team and from the Blenheim Communities Facebook page, supported by Merilyn Davies, the Head of Community Engagement.
Lizzie Woolley, Director of Opus Conservation, who is leading the year-long restoration programme, commented: “The response to our call for help has been fantastic, and it’s brilliant to find out more about some of the graffiti; we’re grateful to Liz, Ray, and Colin Broughton, who sent us several suggestions of who some of the other people might be.”
The restoration project is generously funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Blenheim Foundation, and will bring together a unique collaboration of expert conservators, academics, and heritage professionals. It will also serve as a hub for learning and research, with contributions from the Tate, The Courtauld Institute of Art, and the University of Oxford.
The painting conservation work will run alongside the monumental £12 million roof restoration project – the most ambitious undertaking in the history of Britain’s Greatest Palace.
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About Blenheim Palace
Home to the Dukes of Marlborough since 1705, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Blenheim Palace is set in over 2,000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland and is the birthplace of one of Britain’s most famous leaders, Sir Winston Churchill.
With over 300 years of history to share and one of the most important and extensive collections in Europe, Blenheim Palace is not only an iconic part of history, but also a living, changing experience with a wealth of sporting and cultural events, themed exhibitions and tours all year around.
A short miniature train ride away from the Palace is the Walled Garden, which boasts interactive areas entirely dedicated for families to explore including Adventure Play and the Rowse Honey Hive, The Marlborough Maze and Butterfly House. With curated events, an exciting programme of annual activities, entertainment and dedicated eateries for families, these areas guarantee a memorable family day out.
Beyond the grounds and an array of Formal Gardens, the total Estate expands into a further 10,000 acres and focuses on care for the land through sustainable means, pursuing net zero, the growth of the local economy, the provision of affordable homes, apprenticeship training and supported community groups.
Blenheim Palace is Britain’s Greatest Palace.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.
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