BY JENNENS AND BETTRIDGE, BIRMINGHAM AND LONDON, CIRCA 1848

THE JENNENS & BETTRIDGE FIRM
First recorded in 1816, Jennens & Bettridge quickly garnered recognition for their mastery of papier-mâché manufacturing, although this term is actually a misnomer when applied to their wares, since their pieces were produced using laminated sheets of paper, rather than pulp. This method allowed greater durability for a vulnerable material and also permitted a greater polish to the surface. The firm's early production consisted mainly of trays and smaller items, decorated chiefly by Joseph Booth, who was known for his 'exquisite imitations of Chinese and Japanese ornament,' an example of which was produced for the Prince Regent in 1824. The firm made one of their most marked contributions to the industry in 1825 when they received a patent for 'ornamenting papier-mâché with pearl shell.' When this technique was used together with painted decoration and gilding it provided a brilliant effect. By the time the patent was issued, the firm was already describing themselves as 'Japanners in Ordinary to His Majesty.' By 1839 they were producing a variety of furniture and larger items, and in that year supplied Buckingham Palace with two folding screens. The patronage the firm enjoyed under George IV continued under both William IV and Victoria, for whose marriage in 1840 they produced an elaborately-decorated set of trays.

A SPANISH ROYAL COMMISSION
The firm's popularity extended beyond well beyond England, and their patrons extended to the Americas, India, Egypt, Russia, and greater Europe. Evidently Queen Isabella II of Spain was keen on the exuberant furnishings they had to offer. On 29 April 1847, the Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette reported that Messrs. Jennens and Bettridge, ‘have on view a splendid display of household furniture, made to order for her Majesty the Queen of Spain, it consists of sofas, chairs, tables, etc., executed in the richest style of art… from new designs, sent for the approval of her majesty…’ (British Newspaper Archive). It is unclear how many pieces were included in the suite of furniture ordered by the Queen of Spain, how long production took, or whether she was so pleased with her first order that she placed subsequent orders. Whatever the case, in October the following year, Aris’s Birmingham Gazette reported:
'Messrs. Jennens and Bettridge, of this town, have manufactured a set of six-corner tables and two sofas of papier-mâché, of exquisite workmanship. The sofas are of ingenious construction, both being formed of one entire piece of papier-mâché, each with bold sweeping outlines which adapt themselves naturally, and without contortion, to all variously-formed parts... The general effect is highly pleasing and perfect in unison in all its parts... Gold, pearl, and colour form the varied and vivid medium of ornamentation... The public will have an opportunity of inspecting the whole of these splendid articles, manufactured for the Queen of Spain, as they are to be exhibited in the show-rooms of the establishment tomorrow, and two following days.'
(Aris's Birmingham Gazette, 16 October 1848, British Newspaper Archive).

It is very likely that this magnificent table and pair of sofas by Jennens & Bettridge, which match the newspaper descriptions and were previously sold as reputedly from the Spanish Royal family, were part of the suite of furniture supplied to Queen Isabella II of Spain. This is further supported by the firm's presentation one year later at the Birmingham Exposition of Arts and Manufacturers in 1849, where they showed the 'the best papier-mâché sofa, highly emblazoned in mother-of-pearl and burnished gold, a facsimile of one made for the Queen of Spain.' The 1849 exhibition appears to have been a dry-run for the more prestigious Great Exhibition of 1851, where the firm was the only papier-mâché manufacturer in their class to be awarded a medal.

Remembered as 'la reina de los tristes destinos' (the queen of sad fates), the reign of Isabella II was marked by great political turmoil. Amidst a backdrop of succession disputes and conspiracies, she was proclaimed sovereign in 1833 at only three years old, and received the crown at thirteen. Her reign lasted until the Spanish Glorious Revolution of 1868 when she was forced into exile in France, where she spent the remainder of her life. During her time as queen she was an avid collector, adding to the vast Spanish royal collection which now forms the core of the Museo del Prado, Madrid, and founding the National Archaeological Museum, Madrid in 1867. When exiled she brought some of her collection with her to Paris, later famously auctioning off pieces from her jewelry collection. It is unclear what happened to the majority of her property that was left in Spain, although some likely remained in the Spanish royal family or was returned when her eldest son Alfonso XII (1857-1885) was proclaimed king of Spain in 1874.