Made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Ipswich Central, Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council, this exhibition forms a key part of the Thomas Wolsey 550 project, a programme of events and activities taking place across Ipswich.
Born and raised in Ipswich, Wolsey rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most powerful men in England, working alongside King Henry VIII.
Wolsey’s Ipswich offers a unique opportunity to come and explore the complex and inspiring story of Ipswich’s most famous son. I was fortunate enough to have a look around the exhibition myself last week.
The inspiring, family friendly exhibition explores the legacy of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, celebrating the 550th anniversary of his birth, re-connecting him with his hometown and examining his position on the world stage.
It features archive treasures from Suffolk’s collections, curated by our own team at Suffolk Archives, which date from the 16th century to the present day, as well as some significant loaned exhibits, including Wolsey’s original Cardinal hat, on loan from Christ Church College, Oxford.
The exhibition even includes an original copy of Shakespeare’s first folio, on loan from Trinity College Cambridge and coinciding with Folio 400 which marks 400 years since the first printed collection of Shakespeare’s work. This, among other materials, gives an interesting perspective of how Wolsey has been depicted throughout history including within Shakespeare’s play Henry VIII which covers part of Henry VIII’s reign and depicts elements of Wolsey’s rise and fall.
