DRESSING TABLE SET Lady's

Lady's dressing table set in wooden box, compartmentalised and lined with royal blue velvet. The box a), polished and with a hinged lid, has a mother-of-pearl shield inlaid in the centre of the top, as well as an inlay of the same shape and material surrounding a keyhole on the front.
The main compartments of the box contain:
b) Cut glass jar with silver metal lid, c), containing folded packet of Sen-Sen aromatic Chew [sic] Gum, d). Together.
e)-f) Identical to b-c, but with a wisp of cream coloured wool inside.
g) Cut glass jar, tall, with silver metal lid, h) containing two wedding icing rosettes.
i-j) Identical to g-h, but containing icing, flowers and tissue paper.
k-l) Identical to g-h, but containing a small curl of brown hair.
m) Cut glass jar with glass stopper, n). No contents. together 8.4h x 5w x 5d.
o-p) Identical to m-n.
q) Long oblong glass container with silver metal lid, v), containing a black and white photograph, w), of a man with a hand-written ink inscription opening with 'Dear albert' and referring to his 'large, bonnet-sized tobacco pouch on our counter at Bristol' [3.9h x 4.1w]. A small fleck of icing or similar is included in the container. Total size of container: 4h x 5.5w x 9 l.
x) Oblong glass container with silver metal lid, y) contains bone(?) clothes brush with natural (?) bristle, z), and a newspaper cutting, aa): 'DAVEY - Died of wounds on April 29, 1918'. Davey hailed from Claremont, and was 23 years old. Total container size: 3.5h x 3.6w x 9 l.
ab) Removable panel with loops for manicure/grooming tools: silver metal scissors, ac) hat pin with plastic and dimante detail, ad); spike with pearlshell handle, ae); corkscrew with pearl shell handle, af); metal nail file, ag); metal nail file with spike-shaped end, ah). Total panel size: 13.2 l x 8.7 w x 2h.
In a concealed compartment under the removable panel, four objects are stored:
ai) Silver-painted chick wish bone, 8 x 4.2 x 2.
aj) Dried sea horse, 3 l x 2 x .5
ak) Portion of pen or pencil, consisting of a hollow silver metal shaft decorated on one end with a purple glass or stone. 10 l x .9 diam.
al) Pressed metal name tag, oblong, inscribed 'H.B. Abraham' . 6.4 l x 1.2 h.
Most of the top layer of the box is a removable tray iwth two brass handles, am). The tray's overall size is 14.2w x 27.7l x 3 h. Beneath the tray is another concealed compartment containing:
an) Lacuered wood snuff box containing snuff, 6.2l x 3w x 2.1h.
ao) Brass picture frame, 5 x 4.1x 0.2.
ap) Black and white photograph of five women in pre-WWI attire, seated on grass. 4.3 x 4.2.
aq) Hand-written list of manchester (pencil on lined white paper), referring to pillow slips, kitchen towels, bath towels and dusters. 5.3 x 12.8.
ar) Gold bracelet chain in satin -lined, hinged leather-covered box, as). Box size: 2 h x 7.5 l x 3.8 w.

Inside the lid of the dressing table set, a flat, hinged panel conceals a mirror and a flat compartment for paper object storage. The latter contains:
at) An old black and white photographof two elderly men (blurred), 6 x 4.7.
au) A list of manchester, referring to pillow slips, kitchen towels, bath towels and dusters, 6.7 x 27.
av) A recipe containing eggs (including dissolved eggshells), honey and rum, 11.8 x 21.
aw) A Commonwealth Savings Bank receipt made out to Mrs V.S. Abraham, dated 11.2.1938, transferring 120 pounds 12s. to Bristol, England, 11.1 x 11.7.
ax) A letter from Bobbett Bros. Solicitors to Mrs V.S. Abrahams [sic] re. transfer of Imperial Tobacco Shares of Canada shares to Mrs Hawker, dated 28.1.48, 20.2 x 12.6.
ay) An embossed birthday card (no name) with a paper clippng referring to a trip to England on the Orion by Mrs V.S. Abraham, accompanying her son Basil, his wife and their son John. They were to be away for nine months. Probably dated 1938. 12.5 x 6.2.
The mirror concealed within the dressing table set lid is wood-framed, with a leather backing and cloth pull-tab to draw it out of its seating in the lid. 18 h x 13.8 w x .7 d.

Department: 

Collection

History Collection

Collection Item Data