The Emily Hobhouse Museum: immersive storytelling powered by S-Guide technology

The Emily Hobhouse Museum, located in St Ive, near Liskeard, in Cornwall, is a place of remembrance dedicated to the legacy of Emily Hobhouse, a key humanitarian figure who supported the women and children who fell victim to the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa. To deliver emotionally captivating storytelling, the museum adopted the Sycomore S-Guide, an immersive audio solution with headphones.

The challenge: making history accessible and emotional

The museum wanted to make this complex, emotionally rich story accessible to a wide audience, while respecting the sensitivity of the historical narrative. It was looking for an interactive, screen-free solution that would let visitors discover Emily Hobhouse's story at their own pace, preserving the dignity and emotional depth of her message.

The solution: the Sycomore S-Guide

The S-Guide is a wireless audio headset designed for immersive storytelling. It uses Bluetooth and infrared technology to automatically trigger audio playback when the visitor is near the points of interest. With no screen, it allows full concentration on the story:

• Spatial/3D audio: immersive sound quality that recreates the environment and atmosphere of the era.
• Ergonomic design: a lightweight headset with an ergonomic neckband for prolonged, comfortable use.
• Intuitive operation: a fully self-contained device that simplifies logistics, storage and maintenance.

A tailor-made installation

The museum deployed 80 S-Guide units, preloaded by Vox with multilingual audio content supplied by the museum itself: narrations in English, Afrikaans and Sesotho, to reach an international audience, particularly visitors from South Africa, the country at the heart of Emily Hobhouse's story.

Sycomore handled delivery, installation and on-site staff training. Smart charging stations enable real-time monitoring of device usage, battery management and diagnosis of any anomalies.

A more engaging, emotional experience

The automated, immersive storytelling creates a stronger emotional connection with the exhibits. Feedback from visitors and educators has been extremely positive, praising the ease of use and the emotional impact of the system. The distraction-free nature of the experience was particularly appreciated, and the increase in both visit duration and overall satisfaction has been notable.

Visitors won over

Reviews published on TripAdvisor bear this out. Chris C (July 2025) praises "magnificent architecture telling a fascinating story", timed entry that makes the experience "very intimate" and "high-tech headsets" with narration that is "concise but informative". Gilly P (July 2025) highlights the contrast between the "beautiful Georgian house" and the contemporary war museum. Joan W (August 2024) describes a childhood home "lovingly and faithfully restored", where you put on a headset and set off to explore, "like stepping back into the past". Carine, from Pretoria (June 2025), a South African, says she was "totally moved" by this "incredible emotional journey".

The integration of the S-Guide at the Emily Hobhouse Museum shows that it is possible to modernize the visitor experience while remaining true to a legacy and a message of compassion, combining innovation with respect for memory.