Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth enters the annals of TV history tomorrow (Wednesday 13 November, 2013) when David Suchet dons the famous moustache for the last time in Curtain, Hercule Poirot's final mystery.
And fans suffering from withdrawal symptoms can find out more about the mastermind behind Poirot and other much loved characters in A Tribute To Agatha Christie, which is on show at Bantock House Museum until early next year.
People can discover more about her life, work and characters, including the unassuming Miss Marple whose observations of village life in St Mary Mead gave her an insight into human nature, and of course Poirot, the brainy Belgian detective who solved such intriguing cases as the Murder on the Orient Express and the Death on the Nile.
The exhibition includes a number of objects on loan from Gale Goddard, an avid collector of Christie memorabilia, ranging from cups and saucers from the Orient Express to Poirot Russian dolls and a Murder on the Orient Express film poster signed by Albert Finney - who played Poirot in the 1974 film.
Visitors can also see period items that Gale has collected similar to those which Agatha Christie would have used when she was writing her novels and plays, along with a selection of pharmaceutical items in recognition of her wartime job as a nurse, during which she gained a knowledge of poison - often the weapon of choice in her mysteries.
Accessories synonymous with Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, book jackets and also photographs of actors and actresses who have appeared in Agatha Christie plays are also included in the exhibition, along with a number of objects from Wolverhampton Arts and Museums own collections. These include an Egyptian canopic jar which is more than 3,000 years old - Agatha Christie's trips to Egypt inspired her novel Death on the Nile - and programmes from Agatha Christie plays performed at Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre.
Bantock House Museum Curator Helen Steatham said: "Poirot fans will no doubt be shedding a tear when he solves his final case this week, but we're hoping we'll be able to put a smile on their face with our new exhibition, which includes a selection of objects associated with his famous author and the characters she created.
"We're also celebrating Wolverhampton's own links with Agatha Christie. One of her plays, Verdict, was premiered at the Grand Theatre in 1958; she attended in person and the exhibition includes programmes from this and other plays performed at the Grand over the years, as well as a visitor book she signed in 1962."
She added: "We'd like to say a big thank you to Gale Goddard for providing us with a selection of objects from her extensive Agatha Christie collection."
A Tribute To Agatha Christie is on display at Bantock House Museum until Sunday 19 January, 2013. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 12pm to 4pm and entry is free.
- released: Tuesday 12 November, 2013