Art & collections

From cauldrons to coffins and death masks to witch marks, we reveal the most grizzly and ghostly objects you might encounter at our places and some of the eerie tales surrounding them. Prepare to get shivers down your spines.

Dummy boards, sometimes called 'silent companions', are life-size, flat, wooden figures that formed part of 17th-century room decoration. These intriguing painted cut-outs of soldiers, children, servants and animals, can be found standing (some might say lurking) in the interiors of many of our places. But why?

See rare and precious European objects in this new permanent gallery at Waddesdon. Many are on display for the first time, and all have a profound significance to the Rothschild family and their activities as collectors. Until 27 October

Capturing the unique glamour and style of the Sixties, this exhibition showcases of portraits by some of the decade’s more famous photographers. Featured subjects include models and musicians, film stars and politicians - but far more than just celebrity portraits, these are artistic and evocative photographs which helped define an era. Until 10 November

Greenway in Devon boasts a fabulous collection of over 12,000 objects - the results of a lifetime of collecting by famous author Agatha Christie and her family. It was their beloved holiday 'dream' home. We unveil some of the most marvellous and mysterious of these family treasures.

Past owners of country houses have had an enormous influence on historic interiors by indulging their passion for the latest fashion or covering an existing decorative scheme because it was too garish for their taste. Paintings Conservation Adviser Christine Sitwell takes a look at four different National Trust places to tell the story of wall paint through the ages.

With Banned Books Week underway, Assistant Curator Hannah Squire explores the power of books and how censorship impacted the life and work of Vita Sackville-West. Vita's writings, including a secret manuscript found after her death in her writing tower at Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent, challenged accepted notions of love.

Curator Alison Cooper goes to Boston on the cultural trail of the Mayflower voyage and shares her discoveries of the transatlantic relationship forged between Plymouth, Massachusetts and Plymouth, Devon.

Our collections are constantly revitalised through new acquisitions. Recently, a painting by Italian artist Carlo Dolci (1616-1687) of the early Christian martyr Saint Agatha has returned to Osterley Park and House in Middlesex thanks to a grant from Art Fund and other generous donations.

Each year we lend many items from our collections to external exhibitions. You may be surprised to find out where our objects go on show.