Spinster Collection

Sadness, January 21, 1800. Creator: Thomas Rowlandson
Sadness, January 21, 1800

Female Literary Types
PASSIONATE FEMALE LITERARY TYPES Satiric comment on the New School, the older, educated woman here portrayed as a masculine spinster

Limenay marriage agency, rue du Paradis, 1903 (postcard)
8822201 Limenay marriage agency, rue du Paradis, 1903 (postcard); Private Collection; (add.info.: Limenay marriage agency (from the Hymenee)

Electric Telegraph; Including Cooke and Wheatstone single and double needle instruments, 1859
3480040 Electric Telegraph; Including Cooke and Wheatstone single and double needle instruments, 1859; (add.info.: Electric Telegraph; Including Cooke and Wheatstone single)

Electric Telegraph; Including Cooke and Wheatstone single and double needle instruments, 1859
3480039 Electric Telegraph; Including Cooke and Wheatstone single and double needle instruments, 1859; (add.info.: Electric Telegraph; Including Cooke and Wheatstone single)

Limenay marriage agency, rue du Paradis, 1903 (postcard)
8822200 Limenay marriage agency, rue du Paradis, 1903 (postcard); Private Collection; (add.info.: Marriage agency of Limenay (de l'Hymenee), rue du Paradis

An old woman drinking her tea, 1850
3478442 An old woman drinking her tea, 1850; (add.info.: Illustration depicting an old woman drinking her tea from a tea dish as she sits in self-imposed solitude)

Christmas in Leap Year - by Florence Claxton, 1860. Creator: Gilks
Christmas in Leap Year - by Florence Claxton, 1860. Humorous vignettes depicting a tradition, known as Bachelor's Day or Ladies Privilege

Comic postcard, Woman kneeling in bed, praying for a man Date: 20th century

Jeanette Rubenson, 1883 by Ernst Josephson who was a Swedish painter and poet. He specialized in portraits, genre scenes of folklife and folklore

The source of our destinies
Martine Benezech

How happy could I be with either (colour litho)
3641564 How happy could I be with either (colour litho) by Anderson, Martin " Cynicus" (1854-1932); Private Collection; (add.info.: How happy could I be with either)

Young single girl of the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland, 19th century. She wears a hat with ribbons
FLO4657938 Young single girl of the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland, 19th century. She wears a hat with ribbons, plaited hair tied with long ribbons, laced bodice, chemise, embroidered bib

The Girl, from Fables by Jean de La Fontaine (engraving, 19th century)
PER190895 The Girl, from Fables by Jean de La Fontaine (engraving, 19th century) by Huyot, Jules (1841-1921); Private Collection; (add.info.: Illustration for The Girl)

Sketches in New Zealand, Maori Civilisation (engraving)
1624698 Sketches in New Zealand, Maori Civilisation (engraving) by Begg, Samuel (fl.1886-1916) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sketches in New Zealand, Maori Civilisation)

"The Long Arm of Confidence"(litho)
7167383 " The Long Arm of Confidence" (litho) by Raven-Hill, Leonard (1867-1942); Private Collection; (add.info.: " The Long Arm of Confidence." Illustration for The Album)

"Why don t the men propose?"(engraving)
7177683 " Why don t the men propose?" (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: " Why don t the men propose)

Legend of St Catherines Church where spinster women come to pray for matrimony, Dorset, England (colour litho)
7200526 Legend of St Catherines Church where spinster women come to pray for matrimony, Dorset, England (colour litho) by English School

Portrait of a woman (oil on canvas)
OVR395280 Portrait of a woman (oil on canvas) by Stoltenberg, Matthias (1799-1871); 32.5x26.7 cm; Bergen Art Museum, Norway; Photo © O. Vaering

The Rivals, c1780-1825. Creator: Thomas Rowlandson
The Rivals, c1780-1825. These two young men, one a dashing young officer, the other a gallant but unattractive adventurer, are displaying their simulated affections to the complacent rich dowager

Suitors, c1780-1825. Creator: Thomas Rowlandson
Suitors, c1780-1825. In " Suitors" we find one of the subjects drawn from Rowlandsons imagination, a source which was inexhaustible

Woman holding a cat (litho)
3639170 Woman holding a cat (litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Woman holding a cat.); Look and Learn / Valerie Jackson Harris Collection

The Bachelor Girl (b / w photo)
724528 The Bachelor Girl (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Bachelor Girl)

Comic postcard, Woman at Information Bureau Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Two women having breakfast - postcard from the vicar Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Woman at a lending library Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Hotel guest on the phone Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Little girl visits Egyptian exhibition Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Hotel guest on the phone Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Little boy and woman artist Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Little boy and teacher - grammar lesson Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Woman in orange bikini at the seaside - Dangerous To Bathers Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Man and woman on the beach Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Father Christmas and Old Maid Date: early 20th century

Comic postcard, Aunt Matilda bathing in the sea in an inflatable ring Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Old maid saying her prayers Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, The Old Maids Prayer Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Pretty woman and doctor, misunderstanding Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Middle-aged spinster and doctor Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, The shortest prayer on record - A man, Amen! Date: 20th century

Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), c. 1572-75 (engraving)
STC169249 Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), c.1572-75 (engraving) by Hogenbergh, Remigius (before 1536-after 1573); Private Collection; (add.info)

Young unmarried Hausa woman of Kano, North West Nigeria
6339076 Young unmarried Hausa woman of Kano, North West Nigeria by Belgian School, (19th century); (add.info.: Young unmarried Hausa woman of Kano, North West Nigeria)

The Elderly Spinsters, 1904 (oil on canvas)
XIR231586 The Elderly Spinsters, 1904 (oil on canvas) by Miller, Richard Emil (1875-1943); 200x165.5 cm; Musee d Orsay, Paris, France; American, out of copyright

Young girl of the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland
Young single girl of the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland, 19th century. She wears a hat with ribbons, plaited hair tied with long ribbons, laced bodice, chemise, embroidered bib

Tempus Fugit (coloured engraving)
3641891 Tempus Fugit (coloured engraving) by Bennett, Charles Henry (1828-67); Private Collection; (add.info.: Tempus Fugit)

Comic Christmas card, Apollo and Daphne, designed by Robert Dudley. Date: circa 1880s

Dickens scrap - Mr Tupman, Pickwick Papers
Charles Dickens scrap - Mr Tupman paying court to a spinster aunt in the novel, The Pickwick Papers, Chapter 8. 19th century

Punch cartoon: Delicate Attention (engraving)
6034867 Punch cartoon: Delicate Attention (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Punch cartoon: Delicate Attention)

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"Spinster: Exploring the Female Literary Types and Cultural Perceptions" In Jeanette Rubenson's 1883 illustration, we catch a glimpse of the spinster archetype, a woman who defied societal norms by choosing a life of independence and intellectual pursuits. A comic postcard from the 20th century portrays a woman kneeling in bed, fervently praying for a man to enter her life. This image reflects the pressure society placed on spinsters to conform to traditional gender roles. Even Listerine advertisements from 1930 perpetuated the idea that marriage was essential for happiness, suggesting that bad breath could be an obstacle to finding love as a spinster. The Old Maid card game further reinforces cultural stereotypes surrounding unmarried women. It humorously depicts spinsters as undesirable partners through playful illustrations. Yet, hidden beneath these perceptions lies the source of our destinies. Spinsterhood allowed women like Jean de La Fontaine's "The Girl" in his fables to pursue their passions without compromise or dependence on men. Traveling across continents, we encounter sketches in New Zealand showcasing Maori civilization where strong female figures challenge conventional notions of spinsterhood with their resilience and self-sufficiency. "The Long Arm of Confidence, " depicted in litho artistry, reminds us that confidence can extend beyond societal expectations; it empowers spinsters to embrace their individuality and forge their own paths. Curiously engraved is an image titled "Why don't men propose?" which highlights how some spinsters questioned why they were overlooked by suitors despite possessing qualities worthy of love and companionship. Finally, we meet a young single girl from Schwyz, Switzerland in the 19th century. Her hat adorned with ribbons symbolizes her desire for freedom while her plaited hair tied with long ribbons signifies hope for future connections outside traditional marital bonds.