Lot Essay
The Great Corn Law Bazaar was held in Covent Garden in May 1845 and lasted for seventeen days. It was organised entirely by women, raised £15,000 and was repeated in 1846. The Bazaar was a forerunner, in style, to the Great Exhibition held in 1851, so presumably displayed very high quality goods. A previous smaller Corn Law Bazaar had been held at the Theatre Royal Manchester in 1842.
Suzanna and her sister Anna were probably heavily involved in the Bazaar but one wonders what role Madame Montanari played. She is famous for the quality of her dolls' clothes most particularly for ribbon, bows, rosettes, fringes, lace, braidings and beadwork. Did the the good reception of The Quaker Bride at the Bazaar prompt her to make her huge exhibit at the Great Exhibition in 1851?
The Quaker Movement - Quakers have often been involved in social reform having been heavy financial backers to the anti-slavery campaign as at that time they were barred from being members of Parliament. Later, many joined the Corn Law League and after the Reform Bill of 1832, John Bright, a Quaker became MP for Durham in 1843 and was an outstanding orator against the Corn Laws. In fact there was great debate at the time amongst Friends as to whether or not it was right for him to enter Parliament.
Quaker dress was very distinctive, as it had to be plain. However many Quakers were well-to-do, so the quality of the plain fabrics was often of the highest, hence the silk satin and kid gloves of the doll. The bonnet and triangular shawl were very much features of Quaker dresses; Elizabeth Fry carries a shawl in her portrait by George Richmond in 1824.
It is interesting to note that American Quaker women received fashion dolls wearing the latest Quaker trends from London. Sally McKean writing from Philidelphia to the sister of Dolly Madison in June 1796 says 'We fancy so little change in Quaker dress that 'new fashions' were never known, but it is plain that vanity can lurk in the plait of a Quaker bonnet or the flap of a Quaker coat. Why even on the pinning of a Quaker shawl has its rules and modes'.
Suzanna and her sister Anna were probably heavily involved in the Bazaar but one wonders what role Madame Montanari played. She is famous for the quality of her dolls' clothes most particularly for ribbon, bows, rosettes, fringes, lace, braidings and beadwork. Did the the good reception of The Quaker Bride at the Bazaar prompt her to make her huge exhibit at the Great Exhibition in 1851?
The Quaker Movement - Quakers have often been involved in social reform having been heavy financial backers to the anti-slavery campaign as at that time they were barred from being members of Parliament. Later, many joined the Corn Law League and after the Reform Bill of 1832, John Bright, a Quaker became MP for Durham in 1843 and was an outstanding orator against the Corn Laws. In fact there was great debate at the time amongst Friends as to whether or not it was right for him to enter Parliament.
Quaker dress was very distinctive, as it had to be plain. However many Quakers were well-to-do, so the quality of the plain fabrics was often of the highest, hence the silk satin and kid gloves of the doll. The bonnet and triangular shawl were very much features of Quaker dresses; Elizabeth Fry carries a shawl in her portrait by George Richmond in 1824.
It is interesting to note that American Quaker women received fashion dolls wearing the latest Quaker trends from London. Sally McKean writing from Philidelphia to the sister of Dolly Madison in June 1796 says 'We fancy so little change in Quaker dress that 'new fashions' were never known, but it is plain that vanity can lurk in the plait of a Quaker bonnet or the flap of a Quaker coat. Why even on the pinning of a Quaker shawl has its rules and modes'.