| Steppes Hill Farm Antiques Newsletter #34 - June 2014 |
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"Andromeda and the Skirt Lifters" sounds like an anarchic 1970's Rock Band or something out of the "Rocky Horror Show", but is in fact two subjects that I would like to discuss in this month's Steppes Hill Farm Antiques Newsletter.
Dresses and Skirts were long and cumbersome for Women during the 19th century, preventing any degree of physical movement. Skirt Lifters (aka skirt grips, dress holders, or dress suspenders) provided the solution, allowing greater freedom of movement whilst also adding a gathered feminine silhouette to the shape of the skirt.
You have to think back to the etiquette and the road conditions of the nineteenth century to understand why a device such as a skirt lifter would be necessary. There were no tarmac surfaces and drainage of the roads was also not as we know it today. Garbage would litter the streets and the full skirted and very costly frocks of that time were easily soiled. One should also remember that washing techniques were basic and garments were often kept for a long while. This invention helped ladies to preserve the fabric of their delicate frocks and to maintain them in a cleaner condition. The Victorian Skirt lifter was an odd device, scissor like with pivoted arms often with cushioned grips. This grip would be closed and released by the sliding of a device at the top of the skirt lifter. An added bonus of using the cushion grip would mean that hands did not touch the delicate fabric higher up the skirt so again less laundry and wear. In common with all Victorian inventions the skirt lifter was often a patented device and one of the most common patents was the Fyfes Patent.
"Fyfe's Patent" Brass Butterfly Skirt Lifter
In the later nineteenth century, more women participated in outdoor sporting hobbies such as promenading, croquet, bicycling, and archery. An 1876 article in "The Queen" states "As the trains of outdoor dresses get longer and longer a serviceable dress holder becomes more and more indispensable."
However, it was not a universally admired accessory, as Godey's Lady's Book called the dress holder "useful but not pretty." Other cord and loop mechanisms were employed to pull the dress into folds, but many of these were hidden under the skirt, or disguised by ribbons and bows. The skirt lifter was the most visible and decorative accessory used for this purpose. It could be worn on its own, or as one of the multiple tools dangling from a chatelaine, an ornamental belt with chains and clasps to hold a lady's various accoutrements: fan, parasol, eyeglasses, sewing scissors etc.
The cased silver example that I have in stock (illustrated at the start of this piece) by Brookes & Crookes of Sheffield would I suspect have been owned by a lady of not inconsiderable means. It is rather superior to the more prolific brass examples one sees and the handle is engraved with the contemporary initials of the owner - "MAB".
Edwardian enamelled silver Vesta Case by Hayman & Co, London 1908
Click on image above to zoom
"ANDROMEDA by Edward Poynter, 1869"
This month's "Featured Item" is a lovely quality Edwardian enamelled silver Vesta Case depicting Andromeda, probably Austrian with London import marks for 1908, by Hayman & Co.
In Greek mythology, Andromeda is the daughter of Cepheus, an Aethiopian king, and Cassiopeia. When Cassiopeia's hubris leads her to boast that Andromeda is more beautiful than the Nereids, Poseidon, influenced by Hades sends a sea monster, Cetus, to ravage Andromeda as divine punishment. Andromeda is stripped and chained naked to a rock as a sacrifice to sate the monster, but is saved from death by Perseus.As a subject, Andromeda has been popular in art since classical times.
As usual, I am pleased to be able to offer over 50 new items of stock this month and recent finds include; an early 20th Century Novelty Silver Swan Pin Cushion, a Victorian Silver & Enamel South Eastern Railway Trunk Vesta Case, a George III Silver Gilt Watch Vinaigrette with Musical Grille, a Victorian Novelty Silver Mussel Shell Vesta Case, a George IV Antique Silver Rose Pattern Sifter Spoon, a rare Cased Set of Graduated Silver Artists Pencils, a Victorian Parcel Gilt Combined Circular Scent Bottle / Vinaigrette, an exceptional Large Regency Gold Mounted Amethyst Desk Fob Seal with the arms of Carey.
I do hope that you will find this Newsletter informative and helpful and will allow us send it to you on a regular basis. I would welcome any feedback you may have, both positive and negative.
David W.A. Buck.
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