Mastery of Design: Queen Victoria’s Portrait Bracelet, 1839

Gold Serpent Bracelet with Enamel Portrait of
Queen Victoria
Commissioned by the Queen, 1839
Rundell, Bridge & Rundell
Gold, Diamonds, Rubies, Enamel
The Royal Collection

Over a period of several years, Queen Victoria had commissioned a set of bracelets from the Royal Jewelers at Rundell, Bridge & Rundell. These bracelets—gold, set with rubies (for passion), diamonds (for eternity) and a serptentine design (to suggest “wisdom”)—all featured enamel portraits of Queen Victoria copied by hand by Henry Pierce Bone after the Coronation portrait by George Hayter. The only difference was that Victoria ordered that she not be wearing the Imperial Crown in the enamel portraits on the bracelets since they were to be given as personal gifts.

Bracelet ReverseThe Royal Collection

This is one of those bracelets—one of the originals, in fact, which is housed in the Royal Collection. The reverse of the bracelet shows the queen’s insignia “V.R.” for Victoria Regina and the date of July, 1839. This bracelet, it is believed, was given as a special gift by the queen to her mother, The Duchess of Kent. 

Figure of the Day: Mother Goose, 1890

"Mother Goose"
Staffordshire
1890
The Victoria & Albert Museum

From Staffordshire, this figurine represents Mother Goose--the subject of the fairy tale which appeared in a French collection published by Charles Perrault and was translated into English in 1729.

Made in 1890, the figure may have been produced because the fairy tale was a generally popular subject, or, most likely because of a theatrical production which was opening at the time. We should note that much earlier in the Nineteenth Century the clown Grimaldi (who was the model for Mr. Punch’s friend, Joey the Clown) had made his name in the Covent Garden production of Dibdin's pantomime “Mother Goose,” or, “the Golden Egg.”

The figure of Mother Goose is shown on goose-back, on a circular colored base, holding a broom in her right hand. She is wearing a white striped hat, a mauve shawl, a green bodice and an apron over a white shirt.

The Art of Play: The Albert Smith Clown, 1890

"Joey the Clown"
Albert Smith, 1890
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Celebrated Punch & Judy Man and puppet maker, Albert Smith delighted late Nineteenth Century audiences with his enchanting puppets. Here, we see one of the few surviving examples of Smith’s puppets—a figure of “Joey the Clown”—one of the standard characters in the Punch & Judy mythology.

Joey, as has been customary for the last couple of centuries, is a glove puppet with a carved and painted face and hands and painted black hair. Joey sports a red leather pointed hat which is edged with fringe at the front. He wears a multi-colored striped tunic with a red and white ruff, blue cuffs and edging, and a strip of red, yellow and red braid at the front. His wardrobe is adorned with three metal buttons set with artificial jewels (some of which are now missing). On the reverse of the puppet is stitched a long black wired sleeve which was meant to conceal the Professor's arm

The set by Albert Smith from which "Joey" comes. 

Print of the Day: Pulcinella, 1622

Pulliciniello (Pulcinella)
Jacques Callot, 1622
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Despite the rather queer spelling of the inscription, Pulliciniello (which can be forgiven since words foreign to Britain were usually spelled phonetically in the Seventeenth Century), we know this print depicts the Commedia dell’Arte character Pulcinella—the forebear of our Mr. Punch. 


The print, published in 1622, is based on an original drawing by Jacques Callot (1592-1635). 

A Recipe for Punch, Chapter 115

Chapter 115
Worries



"Oh, Your Lordship, there you are."  Gamilla panted.  

Robert was just climbing the wide, cascading staircase.  

When he spied Gamilla, he hurried up the rest of the way to the landing.

"Gamilla, what are you doing out of bed?"  Robert frowned.  "I told you to remain in bed for the rest of the day.  Gerard is going to be beside himself when he finds that you've left your room."

"I had to see to Miss Lennie."  Gamilla confessed.  "And, I'm glad I did."

"Is she worse?  Has she lost consciousness again?"  Robert asked, alarmed.

"No, she's still awake, but she ain't in a good mind."

"How do you mean?"  Robert raised an eyebrow.

"She's talkin' nonsense, Sir.  Goin' on about how all that's happened is her fault and sayin' how she's a wicked woman because she takes after her parents."  Gamilla answered.

Robert sighed.  "Of course you told her that none of this is her doing?"

"I did."

"As for the other worry, I'm afraid that it's something which preys upon Her Ladyship's thoughts all the time.  I suppose it rather preys upon many of us--that thought that we're doomed to repeat the sins of our forebears.  I know I give it much thought.  My father was a gambler who cared more for the thrill of his games than he did for us, and, my mother...well, you know what became of her."  He pressed his hands together as he thought.  "His Grace has similar worries.  I imagine that all we can do is continue to reassure one another that such concerns are irrational.  We are each our own individual spirit.  I've had this conversation with Lennie many a time before."

"Perhaps, Sir, you can have it again."  Gamilla said softly.  "I've known Miss Lennie to have these moments when she done let herself fall into sadness with such thoughts.  But, I never seen her so lost to it before.  She even spoke of Orpha Polk.  Seems she's goin' through each memory of everything she's ever done or said in her life and makin' herself suffer for what she thinks are her mistakes."

"I'll speak with her.  I was about to fetch my boots so I might go out looking for His Grace, Charles and Lord Cleaversworth.  I'm terribly concerned that they've not returned and I'm..."  He paused.  

"I understand, Sir.  You also gotta be worried they've fallen into danger, and that Miss Morgana may be worse off than...than she was before.  Not to mention poor Mr. Perkins who's still lost."

Robert nodded.  "Perhaps you could find Gerard and have him get my boots and such at the ready."

"I will."  Gamilla nodded. 

"Then, back to bed with you."  Robert said firmly.

"Lord Colinshire, I'm not feelin' poorly no more.  Besides, Master Colin needs me.  Poor Ethel's been at my post for..."

"No."  Robert interrupted.  "If Ethel needs assistance, Violet can help her for the remainder of the day, or,  we can even pull Maudie from her post.  I want you to rest.  If you don't do it for your own good, consider the child inside of you."

"Yes, Sir."  Gamilla nodded.  "Just after I find my husband."

"Thank you.  And...thank you for letting me know about Her Ladyship.  I'll go to her anon."

Gamilla smiled with relief before hurrying off to find Gerard who was, no doubt, already in the chambers shared by His Grace and His Lordship.

Robert wound his way through the echoing corridors to Lennie's suite.  As he opened opened the door, he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his thorax--a queasiness which told him that something was terribly wrong.

Upon entering the room, he knew at once that the feeling was accurate.

Gazing in panic at the pool of blood which had spread out across the floor near Lennie's bed, he gasped.  "Lennie, what have you done!"


Did you miss Chapters 1-114 of A Recipe for Punch?  If so, you can read them here.  Come back on Monday for Chapter 116.

Antique Image of the Day: Punch's Puppet Show, or, The Humours of Bartholomew Fair, 1792

Punch's Puppet Show, or, The Humours of Bartholomew Fair
Robert Sayer, 1792
This and all related images from:
The George Speaight Punch & Judy Archive.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

“Punch's Puppet Show, or, The Humours of Bartholomew Fair” is a fold-out flip book depicting sixteen scenes from a Punch & Judy show as well as other entertainments.  This unusual book was published by Robert Sayer in London, 1792.

The book is sandwiched with two sheets of paper and a book plate is stuck to one of these sheets which features a crest on it and reads: "Be Just and Fear Not, Ex Libris, Edward Arnold, Andrew W. Arnold, The Grove, Dorking, Surrey".

Eight scenes are clearly visible when the book is flat and each of these individually folds down to show another image beneath.  

Object of the Day: A Trade Card for Universal Stoves and Ranges

 

I especially like this trade card, and I’m sure you can guess why.  As is typical of these little Victorian advertising cards, there’s a little, pink-cheeked tot in a scene which has nothing whatsoever to do with the product being sold.  In this case, the little girl (I’m fairly certain this one’s a girl) is cuddled up on an ample silk pillow, holding a doll of our Mr. Punch.  He wears a colorful costume, and though he does not have his usual large, red nose, he is clearly Punch.

At the corner of the obverse is printed, “Universal Stoves and Ranges.”  There’s no connection between this scene and the product.  But, who cares? These cards were meant to appeal to the people who could afford to buy a stove.  They were meant to be collected for their attractiveness and serve as a reminder of what was being marketed.  So, I would say it was a job well done.

The reverse shows an image of a globe (to reinforce the universal aspect, I suppose) which bears the company’s logo.

It reads:

Wolf’s Furniture House

Carries a Complete Stock of

UNIVERSAL

STOVES

AND

RANGES

150, 152, 154, 156 Blue Island Ave.

Chicago, Ill.

Well, that was a pretty big store; it seems to have covered a large span of the street.  Let’s see if we can find a picture of what it looked like. 

Here’s the street—Blue Island Avenue—about the time this card was printed.