The Home Beautiful: The Well Spring Vase, 1847-1865

The Well Spring
Richard Redgrave
Minton, 1865
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The design of this vase, dating to 1847, was known as the “Well Spring” and was developed by painter and writer Richard Redgrave (1804-1888). If the name is familiar to regular readers of this site, it’s because I’ve often mentioned Sir Richard in his role of Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures, under Queen Victoria.

Redgrave originally produced the design in 1847 for Felix Summerly's Art Manufactures. This design is a great example of the early Victorian decorating ideal of the decoration of an object describing its function.

So, how did this vase and its design come about? The design, and others like it, was promoted by Henry Cole (1808-1882)—a proponent of the philosophy of form echoing function. Cole was approached by the Society of Arts in 1845 about a prize to be given for designs for a tea service. Cole decided to enter the contest, but preferred to use a pseudonym—Felix Summerly. Summerly/Cole won a silver medal in the 1846 competition and his design was produced by Minton. But, Cole yearned for more and personally wanted to “promote public taste.” To this end, he decided to start his own manufacture wherein well-known painters, such as Richard Redgrave, could produce designs specific to certain objects. Thusly, Cole founded in 1847 “Summerly's Art Manufactures.” The concern produced these sorts of objects for three years, but by 1851 Cole was distracted by the Great Exhibition and let other manufacturers, especially Stoke-on-Trent’s Minton, produce the designs which had originally created for Summerly’s.

However, before the end of Summerly’s, Cole enjoyed an association with many fine artists. The “Well Spring” was Richard Redgrave's first design for the Summerly scheme. Redgrave submitted the design to Henry Cole in January of 1847. The original design of a handled vessel, the handles shaped like leaves, was described by Redgrave as “the Water Jug.” The two-handled porcelain vase was adorned with scenes of water plants and water lilies in a garland.

While this example is clearly taken from Redgrave’s original design for the vase, the object itself was not made by Summerly’s, but, later by Minton in 1865. It is inscribed underneath: “MINTON & CO Modelled in 1847 Manufactured in 1865.” 

Object of the Day: A Smorgasbord of Victorian Ephemera!

As you know, the majority of the trade cards in my collection have been stripped (not by me) from the Victorian albums which served to protect them since the Nineteenth Century. Most of the others lifted out of the album neatly, sometimes leaving behind a bit of the page on the reverse, still stuck to the unbelievable strength of Victorian glue.

This one, however, it seems, didn’t lift out so well. It not only took a chunk of the album page with it, but also two other cards in their entirety and a fragment of one more. And, I’m glad that it did!

On one side, we have a trade card which boasts a portrait roundel of a grim young miss. Maybe she’s chilly. Her little yellow shrug isn’t covering her very well and someone’s shoved a pansy into her décolletage. Perhaps she’s sour because her hat is too heavy, or maybe the rose still has its thorns or the feather is tickling her. Or…maybe she doesn’t know why she’s on a trade card for lawnmowers.

Behind her, a landscape depicts a horse pulling some sort of Nineteenth Century farm machine called the Deering Binder. Against the frame of dogwoods which sets of the two images, we can see that the card is “Compliments of William Deering & Co. Grain and Grass Cutting Machines, Chicago, U.S.A.”

And, then…

On the other side, we have two other cards. 

The first features a sprig of yellow roses around a moonlit landscape. It says simply:

C.C.C. CERTAIN CHILL CURE,
No Cure! No Pay!! – Sold by 
Munger & Gillespie, Hazen, Ark. 

Well, that seems fair.

But, wait! There’s more!

Next to the Certain Chill Cure, we have a card for J.&P. Coats’s Best Six-Cord Thread. It features the usual depiction of a ruddy-cheeked lass which seemed to be favored by the folks at Coats. This time, she’s wearing an early version of one of Bette Davis’ hats from “Dark Victory.”

It’s a veritable extravaganza of Victorian ephemera! In my best Tim Gunn voice, I’ll say, “Thank you, Glue.”

Mastery of Design: The Partridge Opal Brooch, 1928

Opal Brooch
Fred Partridge
England, 1928
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Famed Twentieth-Century English jeweler Fred Partridge made this oval brooch in 1928. The enameled gold frame is set with an exceptional opal.

The brooch was made by Fred as a twenty-first birthday gift for his daughter, Joan. He engraved the reverse with Joan’s birth sign of Virgo. 

I wonder if there's any relation...

Sculpture of the Day: A Parian Bust of Llewellynn Jewitt, 1879

Bust of Llewellynn Jewitt
W.H. Goss
Circa 1879
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Llewellynn Jewitt was a celebrated Nineteenth Century pioneer of ceramic history. So, fittingly, this portrait bust of Jewitt is crafted of parian. The bust rests on a turned pedestal and depicts Jewitt at the end of his life, in 1879, with his trademark long, forked beard.

Designs for the bust date to 1878. It was made by W.H. Goss in Stoke-on-Trent, England, known for its parian ware. The base is inscribed:

This bust of Llewellynn Jewitt F.S.A. etc. etc. was made expressly for presentation to his son, - Mr Edwin Augustus George Jewitt - on the occasion of his 21st birthday, the 13th October 1879, as a mark of the highest esteem for both, by their devoted friend 

--William Henry Goss

The Art of Play: A Clockwork Toy Car, c. 1910

Clockwork Toy Car
Germany, c. 1910
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Germany in 1910, this toy was a real luxury for some lucky child. Based on the Mercedes of that year, this clockwork toy and chauffer was made as a birthday gift for a young boy.

The toy was produced by “Carette” who described the model as “Berline de Voyage”

Wednesday Wackiness: A Birthday with Hazel

I don’t usually post weird or silly videos in the middle of the week, but since it’s 12/12/12 and since it’s the day of my 39th birthday and since I’m weird and silly anyway, let’s do it. My greatest birthday wish is to watch an episode of “Hazel” with all of you…remotely, at different times, from our own homes. Enjoy.

Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 210

Chapter 210
A New Place 


“Now, Violet,” Mr. Punch began.

“Your Grace, I know what you’re gonna say. Don’t think me rude, Sir, only…”

“No. You don’t know what I’m gonna say, Vi.” Punch shook his head.

Violet widened her eyes.

“If you want to leave here, you certainly can. Dr. Halifax and I ain’t gonna stop ya. Are we, Chum?”

Robert shook his head, wondering what Punch was up to.

“You won’t?”

“No.” Mr. Punch replied. “Here, I understand. You been hurt by Mr. Hutchinson. Think it’s safe to say we all been disappointed by ‘im.”

“He treated Your Grace terrible bad.” Violet said emotionally.

“He done you wrong, too, Violet. Now, I dunno if he made any promises to ya, but seemed to us that you two had some sort of understandin’.”

“So I thought.” Violet sighed, wiping her eyes.

“Gotta be hard for ya, and we—Dr. Halifax and me—feel awful ‘bout that. We don’t want ya to be sad. And, if bein’ here makes ya sad, you ought to leave. We’ll do whatever we can to help ya. We can ask Mr. Speaight to help find ya a new place and everythin’. Ain’t no good you stayin’ here, bein’ downstairs where he was, where he sat and where he ate. Seein’ all them things what remind ya o’ ‘im.”

“That’s just it, Your Grace.” Violet nodded. “Everything reminds me…”

“Sure, it does.” Mr. Punch said gently. “We gotta get ya ‘way from all that.” He looked at Robert. “Don’t we, Chum?”

“Uhh…” Robert squinted. “Yes.”

“See?” Mr. Punch smiled. “We understand.” He stood up. “You’ll excuse me, then?”

“Sir?” Violet looked nervous.

“I’m just gonna pop up to me room and get your wages for ya. I think we’ll give ya an extra two months. Is that fair?”

“Your Grace?” Violet shook her head. “It’s more than fair…but,”

“Somethin’ wrong?”

“Well, I…did you want me to leave now?”

“We don’t want ya to leave at all. But, we want what’s best for ya. It’d be better, if you’re gonna leave, to do it now.”

“I…I see.” Violet nodded. “I’ll just go down and say goodbye, then.”

“No, no. Mustn’t do that.” Punch shook his head.

“Why not, Your Grace?”

“Well, it’d just be too hard. How does a girl leave her family in any easy kind of way? Better just to leave.”

“Leave my family?”

“Sure. Ain’t that what everyone here is, in a queer kind of way. All them folk downstairs, they’re your family. Up here, too. Look how comfortable Dr. Halifax and I are with ya. Why, I’m even speakin’ in me own voice just like I do with Dr. Halifax. Any other gentleman would have to be careful with the servants. But, see, we trust all of ya so much, I don’t gotta worry that none of ya are gonna speak gossip ‘bout the mad Duke of Fallbridge. Sad enough for Dr. Halifax and me to see ya go. If we didn’t know it was what you really wanted, we’d be beside ourselves. Think how Jenny and Ethel will feel. And Georgie, he likes ya so. And, Charles is fond of ya. Oh, and poor Gamilla. We seen how you two been talkin’ more lately. Specially with Gerard down like he is, the girl’s really been helped by your friendship. Nah, it’ll be too hard for all of ‘em. Goodbyes hurt. Best if ya just leave.”

“Where will I go?” Violet asked softly.

“I’m sure that Miss Molliner can suggest a good women’s hotel.” Robert spoke up, finally aware of Punch’s clever scheme to make the girl stay.

“She’s just upstairs. I’ll ask her when I go fetch your wages.” Punch suggested. “We’d be happy to put you up somewhere ‘til we get ya a new place.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to bother Miss Lennie.” Violet shook her head.

“Don’t be silly. She likes ya an awful lot, Miss Lennie does.” Mr. Punch smiled. “Remember, it was you and Charles what rescued her in Scotland. You got a history together. There’s nothin’ more special than that. I’m sure she’d want to help ya, too.”

“Your Grace,” Violet began slowly, “do you really think that this would be the best for me?”

“It’s what you want, ain’t it?” Mr. Punch smiled.

“But, Sir, do you think…”

“What I think is that you been hurt. When a body is hurt, she wants her family ‘round her to help her through it and see the good times. That’s what I think.”

“I agree.” Robert nodded.

“But, if leavin’ is what you want…” Mr. Punch shrugged.

Violet smiled. “I’m bein’ foolish.”

“Nah.” Mr. Punch shook his head. “You’re bein’ people.”

“Thank you, Your Grace…Dr. Halifax.”

Robert nodded again.

“Your Grace, can we just forget about all of this?”

“I think I already forgot.” Mr. Punch smiled. “Now, Miss Molliner’s gown for dinner wants layin’ out, and, I think my sister has decided she wants to try a new coiffure this evening. She’d said that only you could help her with it.”

“I’ll go up right now, Your Grace.” Violet rose from her chair. Hurrying to the door, she paused and turned around. “I truly am grateful.”

“What for?” Punch smiled. “All we done is talk ‘bout getting’ ready for dinner.”



Did you miss Chapters 1-209 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 211.