Left The first showcase, showing the bold red of the fabric linings


Bottom, from left to right A christening dress; map graphic displaying the origins of royal palaces staff; and a new art commission in photographic form by Peter Braithwaite, re-imagining a historic, anonymous black trumpeteer


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PROJECT 3


Untold Lives Exhibition,


Pigott Galleries, Kensington Palace, London


An exhibition is telling the stories of the people – of different social, economic, ethnic and religious backgrounds – who worked at the royal palaces in the 17th and 18th centuries


WORDS BY EMILY MARTIN


IMAGES


BY GARETH GARDNER


NISSEN RICHARDS STUDIO has delivered the exhibition and graphic design for Untold Lives, located in the Pigott Galleries at Kensington Palace, which runs until 27 October 2024. The show switches the focus to those who worked at the royal palaces in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the studio tasked with bringing their stories to life.


‘The subtle design task for this exhibition,’ Pippa Nissen, director of Nissen Richards Studio, comments, ‘was to bring people to life without disguising the historical reality of their status. One of the focuses was the use of contemporary narrative ideas, including graphic devices and specially commissioned artwork, to imagine and communicate the reality of these previously hidden lives, especially where few objects survive.’ There are five design principles that form the basis of the design approach. Firstly, making the invisible visible: palace servants formed an integral part of palace life, but little is often known about them as individuals. The design sought to provide glimpses of people usually hidden behind the scenes, including new photography created by the design team, used to create shadows and silhouettes, before personal stories are revealed through the scheme’s rich and vibrant design. Second is powered by people: a vast number of servants were needed to run a royal household and, as these people are the central focus of the exhibition, the design had to ensure they were encountered at each point as the visitor weaves through each room set. The third design principle is intimate moments: some servants would have provided very personal services to members of the royal


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