Servants Collection

Heath Robinson automated Dining Room without servants 1 of 4
Heath Robinson Does Away with Servants - Patent Applied for by " The Sketch" in the Dining-Room

The Harem, 1876. Creator: John Frederick Lewis
The Harem, 1876

Heath Robinson Kitchen 3 of 4
Heath Robinson Does Away with Servants - Patent Applied for by " The Sketch" in the Kitchen

Too Many Cooks by Lawson Wood
A policeman on the beat around a smart London square appears to be blissfully unaware of the cooks emerging from each house to gaze adoringly at him

Jeeves and Wooster
In Thank You Jeeves!, Jeeves gives notice when Bertie Wooster, his employer, insists on playing the banjolele

Victorian family group - Rodbourne House, Wiltshire
A Victorian family group and servants pose in the garden of Rodbourne House, St Paul Malmesbury Without, Wiltshire

Heath Robinson Drawing Room 2 of 4
Heath Robinson Does Away with Servants - Patent Applied for by " The Sketch" in the Drawing-Room

Cortes destroying his fleet. Colored engraving
Hernan Cortes (1488-1547). Spanish conqueror of Mexico. Cortes destroying his fleet, moored in the Villa Rica of the Vera Cruz, to prevent defections among his crew. Volume I. Engraving by J

Manuscript Leaf with Opening of The Book of Nehemias, from a Bible, French, ca. 1280-1300. Artaxerxes kneels before the king receiving permission to make a journey

London & South Western Railway Servants Orphanage, Woking
General view of the main building of the London & South Western Railway Servants Orphanage at Woking, Surrey

Heath Robinson Bedroom 4 of 4
Heath Robinson Does Away with Servants - Patent Applied for by " The Sketch" in the Bedroom

Housemaid Carries Coals
The housemaid brings up a scuttle full of coal

Dinner in an aristocratic French home, with servants attending to everyones needs

Poster, DON'T, wartime instructions, WW1. 1. Don't use a motor car or motor cycle for pleasure purposes. 2. Don t buy new clothes needlessly

The Scullery Maid, c. 1738. Creator: Jean-Simeon Chardin
The Scullery Maid, c. 1738

Housemaids Skirts
Mistress to maid : - Julie, you shouldn t wear such tight skirts, you are showing far too much leg

Aristocratic French lady bathing and dressing
An aristocratic French lady is helped by her maids to bathe and dress

Warrior and attendants (bronze) (see also 412916)
DBP412917 Warrior and attendants (bronze) (see also 412916) by Benin, (17th century); height: 54 cm; Private Collection; Photo eDirk Bakker; African, out of copyright

Servants at Reipole House, Loch Sunart, Argyll, Scotland
Group of six servants at Reipole House, Loch Sunart, Argyll, Scotland. circa 1895

Old Maid card - Butler. circa 1940s

Three women with a dog at an open window
Three women with a Jack Russell terrier at an open window. Date: circa 1900s

Aimi of Maru Ebiya, 19th century. Creator: Kikugawa Eizan
Aimi of Maru Ebiya, 19th century. Series: Tour of the New Yoshiwara

Sophia Farrell and maids, 1899 (b / w photo)
XJF391585 Sophia Farrell and maids, 1899 (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sophia Farrell (dates unknown), shown standing on the right

Moment of Departure - all the staff line up to say Goodbye
A quite wonderful German postcard illustrating the Moment of Departure - all the staff line up to say Goodbye! Date: circa 1910s

Dicing for Maids Money at Guildford, Surrey. Miss Ruth Claxton throwing the winning dice ( and taking the smaller amount )

British Consulate, Beirut, Lebanon Date: circa 1910s

Syntax Star-Gazing
Dr Syntax shows a lady the stars through a telescope, while the butler trips over a dog on the stairs and drops his tray of crockery

Exhausted Footman
An exhausted footman, reflected in a dressing table mirror, rests his weary head in his hands and ruminates on the lot of an Edwardian servant

Serving Maid / Chocolate
A serving maid carries a cup of chocolate and a glass of water on a tray

German Deer Hunt C16
A German nobleman hunts the deer - he is on a horse, his servants are on foot, with a bunch of ferocious-looking dogs

Model Maid-Of-All-Work
The model maid of all work is kept busy in the scullery cleaning boots, boiling kettles and pans, and responding to the bells that are constantly rung for her

Amorous Footman
AMOROUS FOOTMAN - James, I saw you kiss one of the maids. - When would that have been, my lady ? - About four o clock. - Oh yes, my lady, that would be Jane

Running Footmen
I am the only Running Footman - sign of a pub in Charles Street, near Berkeley Square

Specimens of evolution at a grand dinner
The survival of the fittest -- specimens of evolution take part in a grand dinner. The handsome and the clever walk arm in arm, watched by many servants

St Catherine of Sienna negotiating with Pope Gregory XI on behalf of the Florentines (litho)
1074496 St Catherine of Sienna negotiating with Pope Gregory XI on behalf of the Florentines (litho) by Fortescue-Brickdale

James Chuma and Abdullah Susi with David Livingstone artefacts, Newstead Abbey, England
622820 James Chuma and Abdullah Susi with David Livingstone artefacts, Newstead Abbey, England, June 1874 (albumen print) by Allen, R

Downstairs servants of a country house
Group photo, downstairs servants of a country house. circa 1900

Her Royal Highness, Princess Royal and her four sisters
Morning Amusements -- Charlotte, Princess Royal (1766-1828), and her four sisters (Augusta Sophia, Elizabeth, Mary, Sophia), all daughters of King George III

Esther feasts with the king, by Tissot - Bible
3783490 Esther feasts with the king, by Tissot - Bible by Tissot, James Jacques Joseph (1836-1902) (after); (add.info.: Esther feasts with the king by J James Tissot)

Jacob Wainwright with Livingstones coffin, London, 1874 (albumen print)
622822 Jacob Wainwright with Livingstones coffin, London, 1874 (albumen print) by Elliott & Fry Studio (fl.1860-90); 6.1x9.4 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: David Livingstone (1813-73)

Maharao Umed Singh hunting tigers, 1787. Creator: Hans Raj Joshi
Maharao Umed Singh hunting tigers, 1787

Pilate Washing His Hands, 1663. Creator: Mattia Preti
Pilate Washing His Hands, 1663

The Graphic Christmas Number front cover 1932
Front cover of The Graphic Christmas Number for 1932 with an illustration of a lively medieval banquet, with a jester ushering an enormous boars head on a platter. Date: 1932

King James I feasting with Spanish ambassadors
King James I of England (and VI of Scotland) feasting with Spanish ambassadors

Roman Ladies Party
Three Roman ladies partying, while servants play music and fill their beakers

MILK BELOW
In Londons Cavendish Square the milk-woman cries Milk below ! to the servants in the basements of the houses

School for Butlers
Trainee butlers take notes as their teacher points to a blackboard diagram, explaining the correct way to carve lamb

Butler and Tray
The butler brings a packet of cigarettes on a tray

Gulliver / Servants / Lillip
He is given six hundred servants to wait on him

Electric Rail Dinner
Still another use for electricity: a miniature railway that brings food from the pantry to the table, removing the need for contact with troublesome servants

Indian Sweeper
A sweeper, Punjab

Indian Dirzi 1891
A dirzi (tailor) Punjab

Indian Grass Cutter
Grass cutter Punjab

A Man and his Man
A man... and his man

Dinner, Servants Hall
Dinner in the servants hall of a large household : the butler presides, with housekeeper, ladys maids, housemaids and footmen ranged in order of seniority

A group of men and women, including an artist and a priest
BL3308494 A group of men and women, including an artist and a priest

The Luttrell family feasting
BL3286268 The Luttrell family feasting.; British Library, London, UK; (add.info.: The Luttrell Psalter 1325-1340 Language: Latin Source/Shelfmark: Add. 42130 f.208); From the British Library archive

An English Family at Table under a Punkah or Fan kept in motion by a Khelassy. 1824
BL3261434 An English Family at Table under a Punkah or Fan kept in motion by a Khelassy. 1824; British Library, London, UK; (add.info.: The costume and customs of modern India)

J.J. Cotton, Collector and Magistrate, sitting outside his tent
BL3299311 J.J. Cotton, Collector and Magistrate, sitting outside his tent; British Library, London

The Arabian Nights, illustration by Edmund Dulac. The Story of the Magic Horse. She gave orders for a rich banquet to be prepared. Date: 1907

The Arabian Nights, illustration by Edmund Dulac. The Story of the King of the Ebony Isles. Supposing me asleep, they began to talk Date: 1907

"The English Daumier Looks On Life: English Types by Blampied. Series 5: East End and West End." Two Charwomen (cleaners), one cleaning and the other looking on with crossed arms. Date: 1933

Labour Saving by Heath Robinson. No. 2 - The Morning Starter

Labour Saving by Heath Robinson The Dancing Self-Supplier
Labour Saving by Heath Robinson. No. 1 - The Dancing Self-Supplier. A sprung dance floor and its vibrations help to perform numerous tasks in the kitchen below from uncorking wine to slicing lemons

Portrait of an Unidentified Black Servant, about 1775. Creator: Unknown
Portrait of an Unidentified Black Servant, about 1775. Additional Info: At the center of this sheet a Black youth is depicted gazing off to the right

Captain Brown, 4th Light Dragoons and Servant, in Winter Dress. 1855. Additional Info: Portrait of two men in a military camp wearing thick wool coats

Portrait of a Native Servant, 1858-1859. Creator: Felice Beato
Portrait of a Native Servant, 1858-1859. A portrait of a bearded man in traditional clothing, wearing a turban. He is standing in front of a stone column

Joseph, Overseer of Egypt, 1744. Creator: Balthasar Beschey
Joseph, Overseer of Egypt, 1744

The Young Francois I of France Goes out Hunting, 1863. Creator: Edouard Jean Conrad Hamman
The Young François I of France Goes out Hunting, 1863

A Bit of Teasing, 1891. Creator: Edward Antoon Portielje
A Bit of Teasing, 1891

The Last Supper, 1575. Creator: Adriaen Thomasz Key
The Last Supper, 1575

Kitchen Maid, Butcher and Boy around a Table, c1610s. Creator: Peter Paul Rubens
Kitchen Maid, Butcher and Boy around a Table, c1610s

The Voyage to China: Sunday on the Red Sea, 1872. Creator: Unknown
The Voyage to China: Sunday on the Red Sea, 1872. Scene on board a Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-ship

The Triumph of Death. The Dream of Life. Knights celebrating a hunt suddenly find three open coffins. One of the corpses is reduced to a skeleton. The other two are half-decomposed

The Tree of Battles. Allegorical engraving representing
The Tree of Battles. Allegory representing the discord which existed between the various social classes during the Middle Ages

History of England. 1450-1500. From left to right, 1: Knight of the Order of the Garter, 2-3: warriors, 4-5: servants, 6: citizen, 7: bourgeois dress, 8: minstrel. Chromolithography

Domestic servants, Victorian period Date: circa late 19th century

Servants to Christian missionaries, China, early 1900s. Date: early 1900s

Grand ceremonial banquet at the French Court in the 14th century, with entremets (dishes that were served after roasts, vegetables and sweets)

Interior of a kitchen. Facsimile from an engraving
Interior of a kitchen. Butcher eviscerating a pig and people preparing the meat. Facsimile from an engraving in Calendarium Romanum, by Jean Staeffler, published in Tubingen, Germany, 1518

Table service of a Lady of Quality. 19th-century
Table service of a Lady of Quality. Chromolithography from a miniature of the Roman de Renaud de Montauban, 15th century manuscript

The bedroom of a parturient. Facsimile of an engraving
The bedroom of a parturient. Midwives tend to a newborn baby while the mother rests in bed. Another child lies in a cradle beside her

Turkish wife riding under a baldachin, 16th century. She is protected from other men's eyes by four male servants in turbans holding a curtained baldaquin around her. Epousee Turque

The Denial of Saint Peter; Prayer Book of Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg, about 1525-1530

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"Unveiling the Evolution of Servitude: From Heath Robinson's Automated Dining Room to Jeeves and Wooster" Step into a world where they were an integral part of daily life, only to be replaced by ingenious contraptions and fictional butlers. In this captivating journey through time, we explore the fascinating realm of "servants, " not just as individuals but as symbols of societal change. Heath Robinson's automated dining room (1 of 4) transports us to an era when technology aimed to liberate aristocrats from the clutches of servitude. With intricate mechanisms and whimsical inventions, Robinson envisioned a future where humans would no longer rely on human assistance for their every need. Moving into his kitchen (3 of 4), we witness the birth of labor-saving devices that promised efficiency without sacrificing taste. Too Many Cooks by Lawson Wood captures the chaotic scene in which modernity clashes with tradition, highlighting society's struggle to adapt to these new advancements. But amidst this mechanical revolution, one cannot forget iconic duos like Jeeves and Wooster who embodied both loyalty and wit. These beloved characters remind us that even in a world devoid of traditional servants, there will always be a place for personal valets who can navigate any social predicament with finesse. Robinson's drawing room (2 of 4) showcases opulence intertwined with automation—a glimpse into how grandeur could coexist with technological marvels. Manuscript Leaf with Opening from The Book of Nehemias reminds us that service extends beyond household chores; it encompasses spiritual guidance too. Beyond domestic settings lies London & South Western Railway Servants Orphanage in Woking—an institution dedicated to supporting those left behind by their caretakers' untimely departure. It serves as a poignant reminder that while servants may fade away, their impact on society remains indelible.