What on Earth is going on in Box 9?

This is a legacy story from an earlier version of our website. It may contain some formatting issues and broken links.

Here’s the latest story from our What’s in the Box display.

There is a suspicious gent and a headless lady

a man is hanging out with spirits

a ‘ghost’ is tormenting poor villagers

Death is greeting a drinking man

Hamlet is chatting with his father’s ghost

and a witch has made herself comfortable in the corner

– she better beware because lucky stones ward off spells

perhaps the black cat will protect her. But where is its body – on Hallowe’en?

Object List

Suspicious Gent and Headless Lady, 2002, by Rachel Larkins
Copy of ‘spirit’ photograph, c.1900, possibly taken by Mary Burkett in Brighton
Creamware jug, c.1800. Inscribed: The Parson was brought in a horrible fright/To allay a mere turnip on a mopstick/Which an unlucky boy had placed in the porch/And in it alight a most terrible torch.
Creamware jug, c.1790, by Thomas Fletcher. Inscribed: ‘To speed his draught grim death appears.’
Pot with lid, c.1860, F & R Pratt & Co; Jesse Austin
Witch puppet – details unknown
Three pebbles known as Witch Stones or Lucky Stones, with natural holes. From a cottage in the Eastdean area. Pre 1939.
Toy cat, possibly Felix the Cat, c.1920 –30