Butterfly Box – Semi-Circle
No example of this needle case has been found to date and it is unknown whether it was actually produced. If you have this needle
case in your possession or know of someone who has it, please contact us so that photographs of it can be
obtained and added to this website.
Design Representation
Design Details
Needle Case Type: |
Figural |
Patent/Registered to: |
William Avery & Son - Redditch |
Patent/Design Representation #: |
Ornamental Class 1: Metal: #274361 |
Patent/Design Registration Date: |
July 11, 1873 |
Location of Patent/Design Registration: |
The National Archives (TNA) - Kew, UK |
Reference #:
|
TNA Representation - BT 43/34/274361
TNA Register - BT 44/3/274361 |
Dimensions: |
Unknown |
Material: |
Unknown |
Name Variations: |
Unknown |
Other Variations: |
Unknown |
Facts
The High Brown Fritillaries butterfly shown here is found throughout Europe and Asia. It seems most likely that this is the butterfly
that W. Avery & Son used as the model for their butterfly
needle cases.
History
Butterfly collecting was one of the most popular pastimes during the Victorian Era because the Industrial Revolution gave the middle class
time for leisure activities. Victorians loved nature and Darwin's "Origin of Species", published in 1859, revolutionized the way
people thought about it. The Speckled Wood butterfly seen here, which is also found in Northern and Central Europe, has many of the
characteristic similar to the butterflies on Avery needle cases.
Miscellaneous
The Monarch is the best known North American butterfly. Although rarely found in the UK, they first appeared in Australian and New
Zealand in the mid-19th century. The Monarch is renowned for its spring migration from Mexico to Canada and the U.S. and its return in the
fall.
