The exhibition takes the visitors over a century ago to an old manor. No one knows when and where its residents disappeared. But the house itself preserves the memory: in its books, in portraits, even in toys. These books tell us heart-warming stories about what three family generations used to love, read and believe in.
Moving from one room to another, the visitors meet signature editions for children of the early 20th century. Alexandre Benois, the author of well-known «ABC in pictures», became a prototype of the Father in our imaginary family. His ABC guided the visitors through everything the house had to offer: the original photographs, portraits, children’s drawings, board games, crafts, sewings, needleworks, postcards and even candy wrappers.
We designed the ground floor as a classic living room, where the whole family used to gather and read their favorite fairy tales to each other. Every family member has his or her own room, filled with books to their taste and decorated with particular wallpapers. The visitors are accompanied by the characters of Benois’s «ABC in pictures». The first floor opens up the outside world — the one so easy to forget while exploring the old house. Here we preserved the Benois’s touch: decorated the walls with the book scenes and recreated the garden straight out of his ABC.