WORKSOP.- 2016 marks the ‘Year of the English Garden’, celebrating the splendour of the country’s gardens and parks. In honour of the occasion, The Harley Gallery, on the historic Welbeck estate in north Nottinghamshire, brings the outside into the gallery with a triple bill of garden-themed exhibitions (27 August to 23 October 2016).

Visitors can take a rare peek into the Edwardian gardens at Welbeck with an exhibition of extraordinary early colour images – in 3-D. Dating from 1911-1928 these stereoscopic autochromes capture the gardens on the ducal Welbeck estate in their Edwardian heyday. The exhibition is accompanied with a talk from Denis Pellerin, curator of musician Dr Brian May’s collection of stereoscopic photographs, one of the largest collections in the country.

Inspired by the autochromes, Julian Bray’s exhibition captures the romance and beauty of the century old photographs and continues his series of paintings capturing the timeless landscape of the ducal country estate.

Leading British jeweller Nora Fok returns to The Harley Gallery with New Threads. Renowned for her intricate jewellery and sculpture made from knitted fishing line, for this exhibition she has taken to her garden and presents new work made from home grown flax.

Gardens for a Duchess - Autochromes of the Gardens at Welbeck
Among the many works of art in The Portland Collection, a plain mahogany, upright, table-top box could easily be overlooked. Extraordinary 3-D images are hidden within, which document previously unseen views of the gardens at Welbeck as they were in the early 20th century, during the lifetimes of the 6th Duke and Duchess of Portland. Displayed in 3D viewers, visitors can walk amid this picturesque moment of history.

For Dr Brian May, of the rock band Queen, stereoscopy has been a lifelong passion and he is the owner of one of the largest collections of stereoscopic photographs in the country. He said: “There are countless stereo photographs out there waiting to be observed in glorious 3-D, which will make you gasp in wonder, their old sorcery still potent after all those years. I am in my own world with a stereoscope. It’s like having earphones on – you’re completely in contact with your subject matter.”

Dr Brian May’s curator, Denis Pellerin will be lecturing at The Harley Gallery on 24 September, exploring 3D photography through a range of examples, including images from the exhibition and pieces from Dr May’s own collection.

New Threads - Nora Fok
Since her highly successful retrospective exhibition at the Harley Gallery in 2011, Nora Fok has continued her exploration of the interaction between art, science, mathematics and the natural world. She has combined traditional craft skills with nylon monofilament (fishing line), which she knits, knots, plaits and weaves by hand to make jewellery. These intricate forms take inspiration from the patterns and forms within nature.

For this exhibition she has developed a range of limited edition jewellery pieces which are exclusively available through the gallery, drawing on her studies of the patterns of nature but designed with up-to-the-minute computer programmes.

Paintings inspired by Welbeck - Julian Bray
Inspired by the stereoscopic autochromes of the Edwardian gardens at Welbeck, ever popular Mansfield based artist Julian Bray showcases paintings that evoke the romance of these 100 year old photographs. These highly collectable new works combine floral imagery with architectural structures, and are available for sale at The Harley Gallery with prices from £250 upwards.

Across the courtyard in the new gallery, the treasures of The Portland Collection remain on display. The RIBA award-winning building has welcomed more than 25,000 visitors since its opening in March, with highlights including Michelangelo’s Madonna del Silenzio, on show for the first time in 50 years and The Portland Tiara by Cartier worn by Winifred, Duchess of Portland to the coronation of Edward VII.