ABSTRACT

This chapter attempts to trace the reasons behind this apparent ‘identity crisis’ and explores how the history of the house—both distant and recent—has shaped it as both a microcosm of Hackney Gazette history, and as a pioneer for the National Trust in the way that it thinks about its relationship and responsibilities to local, diverse communities. It shows that ambiguities around sexuality and gender have always existed and to open up possibilities for people to encounter and celebrate queer heritage in an institution, regarded by many to be a touchstone of national identity. Crowdsourcing in museums is increasingly becoming a ‘means of promoting increased public participation in core tasks such as collecting, describing, categorizing, or curating heritage collections’. The proposals were received favourably by Hackney Council who, having already explored the idea of turning the house into a museum, decided that taking on the burden themselves was unfeasible and unaffordable.