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Hi everyone, and welcome back to another artifact corner. Today we will be looking at a painting that was done sometime between 1832 and 1833. This painting is of British Parliamentarians and the King, and was done to commemorate the reforms to being made to Parliament and voting. This portrait is done on ceramic, which is then housed in a wooden frame. We believe that this piece was acquired by Frances Henrietta and her husband Henry Webb on their European honeymoon. The two traveled Europe in 1832 and 1833, with them being in England in 1833. Unfortunately, the piece is not signed, so we do not know who the artist was. Let’s learn a bit more about painting portraits on porcelain, and the reforms that this Parliament were making.

People have been painting on porcelain and pottery for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks and romans decorated their pottery with portraits of heroes and gods. Their portraits were glorifying and idealistic, rather than trying to be realistic. Throughout the Middle Ages portraiture on pottery basically disappeared. In the 14th and 15th Centuries, during the Renaissance portrait painting on pottery began to come back into fashion. Portrait painting on porcelain really came into it’s heyday in the 18th Century. The bulk of the paintings on porcelain were miniatures, small pieces meant to be displayed on a pice of furniture or carried with you on your person, rather than hung on a wall. Our piece is large and framed, meaning it was meant to be hung and displayed on a wall.

So, what was so important about the reforms being made that a portrait was painted to commemorate it? In 1832, Parliament passed a law that changed the British electoral system. It was known as the Great Reform Act, which basically gave the vote to middle class men, leaving working men disappointed. The Reform Act became law in response to years of criticism of the electoral system from those outside and inside Parliament. Elections in Britain were neither fair nor representative. In order to vote, a person had to own property or pay certain taxes to qualify, which excluded most working class people. There were also constituencies with several voters that elected two MPs to Parliament, such as Old Sarum in Salisbury. In these ‘rotten boroughs’, with few voters and no secret ballot, it was easy for those standing for election to buy votes. Industrial towns like Manchester or Birmingham, which had grown during the previous 80 years, had no Members of Parliament to represent them. In 1831, the House of Commons passed a Reform Bill, but the House of Lords, dominated by the Tory party, defeated it. This was followed by riots and serious disturbances in London, Birmingham, Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Exeter and Bristol and other cities throughout England.

This portrait is in very good condition. The frame is in rougher shape, and has had some repair work done to it. It is the original frame though, which is great. We’re not sure why Frances and Henry decided to purchase this painting and bring it back with them, but we’re glad they did. It is a fascinating glimpse into British history and we are so lucky to have it in our collections. Thanks so much for stopping by.

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles

Hi everyone, and welcome back to another Artifact Corner. Today we will be looking at a small pin. We have quite a few brooches and pins in our collections, but this one is an absolute conundrum. Fannie Delord Webb Hall really liked brooches, and wore quite a few of them in different pictures, but we can’t find any information on this pin. The pin has a coat of arms on it, and some gold text. The text reads “Honi soit qui mal y pense,” which is Medieval French for ‘Shame on him who thinks evil of it.’ As it turns out, this is a Victorian era Order of the Garter pin. Why on earth do we have this pin in our collections? No member of the family was a member. Let’s learn a bit more about the Order of the Garter.

The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George Cross. The Order of the Garter is dedicated to the image and arms of Saint George, England’s patron saint. Appointments are at the sovereign’s sole discretion and are usually in recognition of a national contribution, for public service, or for personal service to the sovereign. There are numerous legends surrounding the origin story for the order of the garter. The most popular involves the “Countess of Salisbury”, whose garter is said to have slipped from her leg while she was dancing at a court ball at Calais. When the surrounding courtiers snickered, the king picked it up and returned it to her, exclaiming, “Honi soit qui mal y pense!” (‘Shame on him who thinks ill of it!’), the phrase that has become the motto of the Order. However, the earliest written version of this story dates from the 1460s, and it seems to have been conceived as a retrospective explanation. The use of the garter as an emblem may have derived from straps used to fasten armour, and may have been chosen because it held overtones of a tight-knit “band” or “bond” of knightly “supporters” of Edward’s cause.

Membership in the Order is strictly limited and includes the monarch, the Prince of Wales, not more than 24 companion members, and various supernumerary members. The monarch alone can grant membership. Monarchs are known as the Sovereign of the Garter, and the Prince of Wales is known as a Royal Knight Companion of the Garter. Male members of the Order are titled “Knights Companion” and female members are called “Ladies Companion.” St. Georges Chapel in Windsor is the mother church of the Order of the Garter and the location of special services in relation to the Order. Every Monarch and Prince of Wales has been a member of the Order of the Garter from the late 1340’s to present day.

The Delord family was decidedly American and French. The family were very much on the side of the American cause during the War of 1812, with Henry and Betsey Delord being friends with the American commanders, and holding dinner parties for them. So, it seems a bit weird that the family would end up with an Order of the Garter pin in their possessions. We will continue to try to figure out the origins of the pins arrival, but for the time being, we’re just not sure. It is a beautiful pin, and in quite good condition. We are so lucky to have it in our collections. Thanks so much for stopping by!

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles

Hi Everyone, and welcome back to another artifact corner. Today we will be looking at this Victorian pitcher and basin. It has a lovely cattail motif on both the pitcher and the basin. There is no makers mark on the bottom of either the pitcher or the basin, but it does have a number 48 carved into the bottom of the pitcher. We actually have two identical sets of these in our collections. The other set has has the number 110 on the bottom of that pitcher. These are likely the number of sets that were produced by the manufacturer. This type of porcelain is known as ironstone wear, or just called iron stone. Let’s learn a bit more about the material and how it’s made, and what life was like for the early Victorians without indoor plumbing.

Ironstone china, ironstone ware or most commonly just ironstone, is a type of vitreous pottery first made in the United Kingdom in the early 19th century. It is often classed as earthenware although in appearance and properties it is similar to fine stoneware. It was developed in the 19th century by potters in Staffordshire, England, as a cheaper, mass-produced alternative for porcelain. The original patent for ironstone, British Patent number 3724, from 1813 by Charles James Mason, is as follows: 4 parts china clay, 4 parts china stone, 4 parts calcined flint, 3 parts prepared ironstone and a trace of cobalt oxide. The goal was to make hearty pieces that would not break easily, and stand up to the daily rigors of household chores.

This beautiful pitcher and basin set was likely used every single morning and evening by members of the Delord family. Getting ready in the morning in a home with no plumbing or central heating was a lot more laborious than our morning routines. First and foremost, you needed warm water. The Victorians did not believe very hot or very cold water was good for you, so warm water it is. That meant building a fire or stoking the embers from the fire the night before. Once the water is warmed, you would put it in the pitcher, and bring it back to your basin. Now you can wash up for the day. Some women added flower petals to their water, like rose, lavender, or chamomile. This would not only perfume the water, making it smell nice, but would also act as an astringent. You would wash your face in the basin first, then use a damp washcloth to wash the rest of your body. Having a full bath was something that happened once or twice a month. Then it’s time to get dressed, and put your hair up. There is a common misconception that women did not wear makeup, and this is simply not true. Women in the Victorian Era wore makeup, but it was meant to be subtle. The fashion of the time was to have as natural a look as possible, and makeup was used to simply enhance your beauty. With all of that done, you were ready for the day. Once you were ready for bed, the pitcher and basin were filled with warm water again, and it was time to wash up.

This pitcher and basin are in fantastic condition. There are no chips or cracks to the pieces, a testament to just how hardy the ironstone wear is. There is some slight discoloration of the glaze, but that is not terribly uncommon for a piece of this age, that has received this much use. This set is a reminder of how lucky we are to have indoor plumbing and hot water on demand. We are so lucky to have these beautiful pieces in our collections. Thanks so much for stopping by.

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles

Hi Everyone, and welcome back to another artifact corner. Today we will be looking at this Victorian pitcher and basin. It has a lovely cattail motif on both the pitcher and the basin. There is no makers mark on the bottom of either the pitcher or the basin, but it does have a number 48 carved into the bottom of the pitcher. We actually have two identical sets of these in our collections. The other set has has the number 110 on the bottom of that pitcher. These are likely the number of sets that were produced by the manufacturer. This type of porcelain is known as ironstone wear, or just called iron stone. Let’s learn a bit more about the material and how it’s made, and what life was like for the early Victorians without indoor plumbing.

Ironstone china, ironstone ware or most commonly just ironstone, is a type of vitreous pottery first made in the United Kingdom in the early 19th century. It is often classed as earthenware although in appearance and properties it is similar to fine stoneware. It was developed in the 19th century by potters in Staffordshire, England, as a cheaper, mass-produced alternative for porcelain. The original patent for ironstone, British Patent number 3724, from 1813 by Charles James Mason, is as follows: 4 parts china clay, 4 parts china stone, 4 parts calcined flint, 3 parts prepared ironstone and a trace of cobalt oxide. The goal was to make hearty pieces that would not break easily, and stand up to the daily rigors of household chores.

This beautiful pitcher and basin set was likely used every single morning and evening by members of the Delord family. Getting ready in the morning in a home with no plumbing or central heating was a lot more laborious than our morning routines. First and foremost, you needed warm water. The Victorians did not believe very hot or very cold water was good for you, so warm water it is. That meant building a fire or stoking the embers from the fire the night before. Once the water is warmed, you would put it in the pitcher, and bring it back to your basin. Now you can wash up for the day. Some women added flower petals to their water, like rose, lavender, or chamomile. This would not only perfume the water, making it smell nice, but would also act as an astringent. You would wash your face in the basin first, then use a damp washcloth to wash the rest of your body. Having a full bath was something that happened once or twice a month. Then it’s time to get dressed, and put your hair up. There is a common misconception that women did not wear makeup, and this is simply not true. Women in the Victorian Era wore makeup, but it was meant to be subtle. The fashion of the time was to have as natural a look as possible, and makeup was used to simply enhance your beauty. With all of that done, you were ready for the day. Once you were ready for bed, the pitcher and basin were filled with warm water again, and it was time to wash up.

This pitcher and basin are in fantastic condition. There are no chips or cracks to the pieces, a testament to just how hardy the ironstone wear is. There is some slight discoloration of the glaze, but that is not terribly uncommon for a piece of this age, that has received this much use. This set is a reminder of how lucky we are to have indoor plumbing and hot water on demand. We are so lucky to have these beautiful pieces in our collections. Thanks so much for stopping by.

The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles