John & Joséphine Bowes | The Couple Behind The Bowes Museum with Judith Phillips

Welcome back to the next episode of Past Loves - the weekly history podcast that explores affection, infatuation and attachment across time.

This week, we are discovering the love story behind one of my absolute favourite places - The Bowes Museum. The Bowes Museum is a hidden treasure in the heart of Teesdale, based in the historic town of Bernard Castle. A truly magnificent museum, it may outwardly appear to be a stately home but, in fact, the museum was specifically built  by John and Joséphine Bowes in the 19th Century to house remarkable and significant collections of fine and decorative arts. I am joined by Judith Phillips, the honorary archivist at the Bowes Museum, to discuss how their love story bought this remarkable place to fruition.

From the Teesdale countryside to the upper echelons of fashionable society in Paris, John met Joséphine Benoîte Coffin-Chevallier at the Théâtre de Variétés where Joséphine was an actress. The couple fell in love and married in contrast to convention at the time. Together, they decided to create a public museum. In a very short time they amassed a vast collection of over 15,000 objects representing all types of European fine and decorative arts from the 15th to the 19th Century, including the now famous silver swan automaton. They had a shared vision which was rooted in their deep affection for one another.


Where To Find Us

Book tickets: https://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/Buy-Tickets

Shop John And Joséphine Bowes by Caroline Chapman: https://shop.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/product/creation-bowes-museum/

Follow Bowes Museum on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebowesmuseum/

Follow Bowes Museum on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBowesMuseum

Follow Past Loves on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastlovespodcast/ 

If Past Loves has become your current love, you can email me at pastlovespodcast@gmail.com