Inscription on headed notepaper relating to 'Crinoline Valentine'
Loose inside album P.14411-R, containing valentines from the collection of J.W.L. Glaisher. Found between the leaves of the album adjacent to mounted object, P.14411-R-51. A sheet of white laid paper with printed name and address: WALTER ACTON / (The Misses Acton). / Old Laces, Needlework, China, / Miniatures, Costumes, etc. / ALL GOODS GUARANTEED OLD / AND GENUINE. / 10A, EAST STREET, / BRIGHTON. The paper has been folded to operate as a binder, apparently for a valentine relating to a crinoline, according to a hand-written inscription on the verso: 'Crinoline Valentine / 7/6'. Watermark: Prince of Wales feathers / PRINCE'S COURT. The Brighton-based antiques dealership, Walter Acton, was run by Walter Acton until 1910 and then by his daughters, 'The Misses Acton'. The addition of their names at the top of the notepaper indicates that it post-dates 1910. According to Julia Poole, Glaisher bought English delft from the Actons of Brighton in 1897, 1904, 1911 and 1917, and Stuart Acton despatched pieces on approval to Cambridge, which Glaisher bought in 1923 and 1924. See Julia Poole, 'Dr J.W.L. Glaisher, FRS (1848-1928), Mathematician and Collector', in Michael Archer, _Delftware in the Fitzwilliam Museum_, 2013. The same album contains other similarly inscribed sheets of headed notepaper from the Actons. See P.14411-R-49 and P.14411-R-72. The arrival of the 'Crinoline Valentine' (and also the 'Wedgewood' valentine, see P.14407-R) is documented in a letter from Glaisher to Miss Parsons: 'The enclosed came this morning & explain themselves. They seem to me worth having. Though the Wedgewood one does not much impress me, I like the crinoline one. ... I am sending the valentines by the 4 o'clock OM [Omnibus]. I will write & tell Miss Acton I am sending them to you to see.'. Fitzwilliam Museum, MS 910-1985, 6 December, 1924, letter to Miss Catherine Parsons. There are a number of valentines on the subject of crinolines in Glaisher's collection and it is not possible to identify the valentine sent to Glaisher by the Actons on this occasion with any certainty. However, P.14579-R, a moveable valentine on the crinoline theme, would seem to be a strong contender, as many of the other crinoline-themed valentines seem to have been purchased in sets. See especially those mounted together in album P.14412-R. Glaisher acquired many of the valentines in his collection from the Actons of Brighton, especially during the 1920s. These purchases or near purchases are documented in the Fitzwilliam letters from Glaisher to Miss Catherine Parsons. The Actons sent Glaisher valentines on approval and he also visited their shop during trips to Brighton. One of the Misses Acton had her own collection of valentines of which Glaisher was very envious and from which he persuaded her to sell him some: 'I got her even to take one out of her album.'. See Fitzwilliam Museum, MS 892-1985, 14 September, 1924, letter to Miss Catherine Parsons (written on headed notepaper from The Grand Hotel, Brighton).
Bequeathed by Dr J. W. L. Glaisher, 1928
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr
19th Century
Production date:
AD 1924-12-06
Accession number: P.14411-R-L3
Primary reference Number: 214723
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
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The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Inscription on headed notepaper relating to 'Crinoline Valentine'" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/214723 Accessed: 2024-09-29 00:25:44
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|title=Inscription on headed notepaper relating to 'Crinoline Valentine'
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-09-29 00:25:44|publisher=The
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