New Benjamin Pollock letters discovered in the Renishaw Hall archives
Renishaw Hall’s new exhibition for 2026, curated by Dr Alan Powers of Pollock’s Toy Museum Trust, delivers an unexpected mixture of early 20th century cultural experiences, bringing together the worlds of Benjamin Pollock, the toy theatre, Diaghilev and the Ballet Russes, Lord Berners, and Sacheverell Sitwell.
Sitwell had taken the Russian impresario to visit Mr Pollock’s shop in Hoxton and the nearby shop of Mr H J Webb, the last two suppliers of toy theatre prints. Their visit inspired the storyline and décor of their ‘English’ ballet.
Here, Renishaw’s Archivist, Christine Beevers, shares more of what was revealed during preparations for the display.
Alexandra Sitwell, Renishaw’s owner, was eager to learn more about the links between her grandfather, the writer and poet Sacheverell (Sachie) Sitwell, and the creation of the ballet The Triumph of Neptune (1926) to share with Renishaw’s visitors. This was the ideal opportunity to search parts of the private family archive which had not yet been explored in detail, in the hope of turning up relevant material.
To everyone’s surprise, the adage “Seek and ye shall find” turned out to be true on this occasion. Sachie’s correspondence box for 1926 yielded several discoveries which had not been previously seen. These included letters and telegrams written in the period the ballet was being planned.
The most thrilling find was three letters from Benjamin Pollock himself. On 13 November 1926 Benjamin Pollock sends Sachie “Sailors cut outs”, together with instructions on how to assemble them plus the Grotto Scene in The Sleeping Beauty. Mr Pollock kindly offers further help in assembling these scenes if needed.
A week later, on 24 November 1926, four scenes for The Silver Palace, a key source for the ballet designs, are dispatched to Sachie with a bill for just over four shillings, which included the price of a scene with seahorses.
The first night performance of the Ballet Russes’ The Triumph of Neptune was 3 December 1926, at the Lyceum Theatre in London. Benjamin Pollock and his daughter were there to enjoy the triumphant evening. His letter thanking Sachie for the tickets to the performance is delightful and gives a sense of his quiet pride in his own contribution to the ballet’s success. He writes:
“The scenery made me feel quite at home, it all looked so like my own, but much improved by the size of same.”
So, preparing for the exhibition acted as a catalyst for delving into the archives, revealing new information about not only Pollock’s Toy Theatre and the Triumph of Neptune ballet but also about Alexandra Sitwell’s grandfather Sachie and his diverse talents as a writer.
Letter from Benjamin Pollock to Sacheverell Sitwell
You can visit the exhibition at Renishaw Hall and Gardens throughout this year’s garden opening season, Wednesday to Sunday, until Christmas 2026.