Interview |
Kate Hudson

Your instagram profile reads the extremely privileged curator of Claridge’s hotel archive. What does your role entail, and what do you love the most about being Claridge’s archivist? 

My role at Claridge’s is not that of a traditional archivist, so although we have an inventory of the archives and we are very conscious of preservation (for example we have had all our arrivals books digitalised), in many ways the goal is really to uncover the stories about the hotel and how things have evolved over the past two centuries.   I often compare the archives to a jigsaw puzzle – we have some of the pieces, but not all of them, so we’re trying to work out the picture and the story from what we have.  We’re always on the lookout for new pieces, and sometimes a single piece can change the picture.  Another analogy is the idea of a tapestry which tells a story.  There are patches of our tapestry which are missing or threadbare, so we need to try and recreate that part of the story using the threads that we have.

Our archives are the stories behind Claridge’s.   Stories can be forgotten, so the point of the archives for the hotel is to uncover these stories and bring them back to life.  Historically people love stories and a hotel like Claridge’s has a wealth of extraordinary stories, whether it be the details of Queen Victoria’s first visit to the hotel, or that Aristotle Onassis used to scribble his shipping deals on the table cloths at the hotel!

I describe myself as extremely privileged to look after the Claridge’s archive because there is an extraordinarily rich seam of stories for us to mine.  For anyone who is interested in history, it is fascinating to think that in the two centuries that Claridge’s has stood in Brook Street, we have lived through the Victorian age, two world wars, women’s suffrage and so much more.  

Hotels have been a bit slow on picking up the archive trend. How does an archive service the hospitality industry, such as luxury hotels? Do you see more hotels considering archives in the near future? 

I hope other hotels will consider their archives.  Just in my research for Claridge’s, I have uncovered lovely stories about other hotels and seen the most beautiful menus and brochures that were produced in the early part of the twentieth century.  I think many luxury houses have recognised that their history is of interest to their clients and I hope that other hotels will recognise this too.

You could spread your research across all elements of the hotel, from interiors, to its art collections, the restaurants it has housed, its staff. The categories of the archive are never ending. How do you decide which one to tackle first? 

The categories are definitely never-ending and while researching a specific topic, I do sometimes find myself following a thread, which can take me on a very convoluted journey and losing hours in the process!   The archive is broken down into different ‘themes’ and often events in the hotel will dictate which area receives the most attention.  For example, there is a great deal of work being done in the hotel at the moment, so it is fascinating to look at previous refurbishments and the changes that have taken place in the past.

How has the archive informed current projects taking place at Claridges, and what has been your favourite to work on?   

My favourite project so far is definitely the one we were working on before lockdown.  We had all kinds of wonderful plans for a return to the Roaring Twenties, celebrating the era of the Bright Young Things at Claridge’s.  It is a fascinating period and uncovering the role that Claridge’s played was wonderful. 

The term luxury is ubiquitous now. But what can the history of Claridges subsequently tell us about the history of luxury, the changes the industry has incurred as well as the continuity?   

Obviously, there are so many factors that play a part in creating a sense of ‘luxury’.  At Claridge’s it is about creating truly special and memorable experiences for our guests, and I think for Claridge’s, ‘luxury’ has always been, and will always be, about service.   

Can you share with us some of your greatest finds?   

For me, in terms of greatest finds, these are not necessarily the most historically important, but the ones which tell us about the hotel at a particular point in its history.  So, finding a mention of ‘a most happy visit’ to Claridge’s in Stephen Tennant’s diary was wonderful.

The last time we spoke you had spotted a Claridges fan for sale in an auction. Can you tell us a little bit about the history of paper fans, and their importance within the Claridges archive? I recently found out that the expression off with the old, on with the new derives from the heritage of advertising on fans. As, many of these fans were made with cheap printed-paper that could be stripped off and replaced from the ribs. 

It was at the end of the 19th century/beginning of the 20th century that fans began to be used for advertising, with designs either echoing the popular decorative styles of the time (Art Nouveau and then Art Deco) or sometimes harking back to a more classical Victorian style, which appealed to more conservative tastes.    

How do you determine the value of some of your finds, and whether it’s important enough to purchase? 

In terms of value, the fans are not necessarily difficult to find or expensive to buy, (although sometimes when the illustration is by a well-known artist that will increase their value) but for me their value is in what we learn about social history.  To put it in context, we have a wonderful Claridge’s fan which dates from the 1920s.  This is the aftermath of WW1, and the rich colours and striking imagery are a reaction to the austerity that people had been living with.

A quick search of Claridges online will bring up a number of articles regarding historical events with the hotel as the backdrop to these. If you could choose to be a fly on the wall which historical events would you choose to go back to and why?

When would I go back in time?  There are so many occasions, but I would particularly love to have been a fly on the wall at the after party for Charles and Diana’s wedding.  I remember watching the wedding on the television as so many people did, but there is very little known about the party that was held at the hotel.  I have however spoken to someone who was a guest (for our oral archive) and it sounds like it was enormous fun and absolutely wonderful!

How are you documenting contemporary happenings?   

We are very aware that contemporary happenings will become our archives of tomorrow, so are making a very conscious effort to keep detailed records. 

There is an increased importance placed on oral history, irrespective of all the problems brought about by the subjective nature of narration. How are you collating these Claridges stories, and how do you assess their historical significance? 

We are gradually building a library of oral archives – whether it be guests, people who have worked here for years or people who have been associated with the hotel in some way.  I think oral archives are very important as they really bring stories to life; the personal element has a very powerful impact. 

And, finally, shall we be expecting a Claridges history book or exhibition soon?  

Wouldn’t that be lovely?!  Our plan at the moment is to have a regular archive showcase at the hotel which will hopefully start a little later this year.