“Nothing has surprised me more in life than to have become a famous authoress – I sometimes can’t believe it’s really me.” Agatha Christie

Fans of the Queen of Crime are in for a treat this autumn as Torre Abbey Museum opens its new Agatha Christie exhibition. Featuring rarely seen photographs from the author’s private collection, Agatha Christie: A Life in Photographs illustrates the life behind the works of the most widely published author of all time. The exhibition is at Torre Abbey Museum from Thursday 12 September to Sunday 24 November.

Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture, Cllr Mike Morey, said: “This is a wonderful exhibition with each image accompanied by a quote in Christie’s own words, drawn from both published works and unpublished personal correspondence. It beautifully captures her thoughts and feelings from early childhood, through both marriages and her international adventures, to her years as a world famous author.”

Family photos give a unique insight into her life showing the real Agatha as an energetic and adventurous young woman with images her surfing on to an idyllic Muizenberg beach in South Africa and roller-skating along Torquay pier.

A timeline will sit alongside the pictures and mark the key milestones in Christie’s life, including the first performance of the world’s longest running play, The Mousetrap, and the publication of definitive works such as Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None.

Mathew Prichard, Agatha Christie’s grandson who looks after the Agatha Christie Archive, said: “My family and I are delighted to share some of our favourite images and quotations of my grandmother Agatha Christie with you. As well as being a marvellous author she was a remarkable person who made an indelible impression on everyone she met.”

"This is a beautifully curated exhibition which gives us an insight of Agatha Christie’s life in photographs. The vivid images, accompanied by quotes in her own words, convey her humour and intelligence, as well as her love of travel and adventure. I hope our visitors enjoy a look into the extraordinary life of the most widely published author of all time.”

Agatha Christie: A Life in Photographs will be open from 10am every day apart from Mondays (with the exception of Bank Holidays), with last admission at 4pm.

The exhibition coincides with the International Agatha Christie Festival (ICAF) which marks Agatha’s birthday and is taking place from Thursday 12-15 September. 

Torre Abbey Museum will be hosting a number of ICAF events, for more information go to https://www.torre-abbey.org.uk/whats-on