Inez Clark (1873-1880) died at the age of six. Her parents commissioned a life-sized statue, which was completed a year later by a Sicilian sculptor, and placed over the grave. Later, a transparent plexiglass box was added to protect the likeness from the elements.
A clockwork doll from the 1860s. Dolls of this type were known as ‘Autoperipatetikos’ meaning ‘the automatic walking one’ and were amongst the first ever walking toys to be produced.
A 19th century gentleman’s top hat made of straw. At the beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign men’s clothing was much more colourful than the sombre suits of the later 19th century. Bright blue coats, yellow trousers and vibrant embroidered waistcoats were a common sight and top hats could be grey, white or even made of straw in summer.
‘The New Phantom’ steel wire bustle from 1884 which was designed to minimize discomfort as it compressed when the wearer sat down and sprang back out when they stood up. A variation of this design was released for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. It was fitted with a musical box which played ‘God Save the Queen’ every time the wearer sat down.
OOooo!! Where did I put my wire to….
