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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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A decades-old mystery has been unraveled by an unexpected source after one woman's chance visit to the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery in the U.K. prompted her to investigate.
Three years ago, the museum proudly showcased a collection of Fabergé items, discovered inadvertently in its storage by expert Geoffrey Munn OBE of the British TV show Antiques Roadshow.
Among these treasures were two ornate frames, each encasing a photograph of a mysterious woman. Despite extensive efforts by Munn and the museum's curators, the women's identities remained unknown.
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But when Andreane Rellou, an actress and screenwriter from London, visited the museum one day, she found herself gripped by the mystery.
"I noticed the sign next to the display, which indicated that the identities of the women portrayed were a mystery, despite the efforts of researchers, and asked for information from any visitors who had insights to share. I was struck by the idea that these women's identities were lost, and immediately felt compelled to look into it more," Rellou told Newsweek.
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When she returned to London, Rellou embarked on her own investigation. Utilizing her skills in research and a keen eye for detail, she delved into historical archives and photographic records.
Her dedication paid off, and she identified the woman in the diamond-shaped frame as Sophia of Prussia, Queen of Greece, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and sister of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. The woman in the square frame was Marie Perugia, wife of Leopold de Rothschild, one of the wealthiest men of his time.
The process wasn't straightforward, though. "Identifying the woman in the smaller pink frame took me about four hours of work; and the second woman in the purple frame took me roughly three days. She had fewer identifying features and was shot from a slightly unusual angle, which made comparing her to pictures of potential women tricky," Rellou said.
Historians associated with the museum were amazed at her ability to solve the decades-old mystery, but, despite her discovery, Rellou doesn't consider herself a professional sleuth.
"I'm not a professional detective or researcher in any way: my main work is as an actress and screenwriter!" she said. Nonetheless, her investigative endeavor has sparked suggestions that she pursue detective work more seriously. For now, Rellou is channeling her research skills into a new project—unearthing the stories of The Three Graces: Marie (née Spartali) Stillman, Maria (née Cassavetti) Zambaco and Aglaia (née Ionides) Coronio, Anglo-Greek models and artists who significantly influenced the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
"I'm endlessly fascinated by women whose achievements have been forgotten, and the kind of historical and detective work it takes to bring them back," Rellou said.
Since she made the discovery about the Fabergé frames and the pictures inside, the Brighton museum is now proudly displaying the items alongside information about the identities of the women in the photographs.
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