Fans of the Golden Age, Poirot and Marple – note the date 26 August in your diary. No, they haven’t dug up a nearly finished early manuscript by the great Agatha Christie to publish anew, but they have found a treasure trove of photos of the author from the her private collection.
The images will be exhibited at the Bankside Gallery in London from 26 August until 6 September under the title Agatha Christie: Unfinished Portrait. Each photo will be accompanied by a quote either from the author’s work or from her unpublished private correspondences. There will be a timeline running throughout the displays highlighting key moments in her career such as the first performance of her play The Mousetrap or the publication of major novels such as Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None. It’s all part of the 125th anniversary celebrations for Agatha Christie, who was born in 1890.
“These wonderful photographs form a key part of the archive and it is very moving to see them presented so beautifully for everyone to enjoy. I cannot think of a more fitting way to celebrate my grandmother’s life in this 125th anniversary year,” said Mathew Prichard, Agatha Christie’s grandson and the manager of her literary estate.
The photos will subsequently appear at the Agatha Christie Festival, held this year in Torquay from 11 to 20 September.
Here’s an example from the show:
