November 4, 2023
It was wonderful to greet Ms Rebecca Raven, Curator, Museum of the Venerable Order of St John, Clerkenwell, London at Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum. Our museums have a long established relationship through the Gollcher’s family connection, Fra Gaetano Bruno, the Secretary of the Chancery of the Order of St John, Malta. The Gollcher family had inherited a significant collection that belonged to Bruno and Olof’s father, Gustaf, wished that Bruno’s furniture to be donated to a museum or institution. In 1924, a donation was given to the Museum of the Venerable Order at St John’s on the suggestion of Olof’s uncle, Major Henry Balbi, who was a Knight of the Order in London. Each of the donated articles has the inscription – The gift of Mrs Elisa Gollcher and Mr Olof Frederick Gollcher at St John’s Museum. In 1936, most likely, as a consequence of the generous donation to the museum, Olof Gollcher was made a Knight of Grace of the Grand Priory of the British Realm of the Venerable Order of St John. The Gollcher bequest to St John’s museum forms part of the valuable collection.
Caption: Rebecca Raven, curator, Museum of the Venerable Order of St John, London flanked by Caroline Tonna, curator and Abigail Pace, museum manager, Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum.
