Victorian Rowboat
Needle Case (photographs courtesy of Bunny's Place)
Design Representation
Design Details
Needle Case Type: |
Figural |
Patent/Registered to: |
Buncher & Haseler - Birmingham |
Patent/Design Representation #: |
Ornamental Class1: Metal: #281251 |
Patent/Design Registration Date: |
March 18, 1874 |
Location of Patent/Design Registration: |
The National Archives (TNA) - Kew, UK |
Reference #: |
TNA Representation - BT 43/36/281251
TNA Register - BT 44/3/281251 |
Dimensions: |
4.5 x 11.4 x 2.4 |
Material: |
Brass |
Name Variations: |
a) W. Avery & Son - Redditch
b) Baggallays, Westall & Spence - London |
Other Variations: |
None |
Additional Photographs
Top closed and front part open
Top back part open and top with Avery signature detail
Top with Baggallays, Westall & Spence signature detail (photograph courtesy of Jennifer Wallis)
Facts
A rowboat is a small boat propelled through the water by pulling a pair of oars held in place with a pivot attached to the boat.
Perpendicular boards across the frame provide a place for one or two passengers to sit. Rowboats come in two varieties, forward-facing which
allows the seated rower to row facing forward, or rearward-facing which moves the boat in the opposite direction from the way the rower
faces. Although most rowboats have the oars positioned so only one person can row, some are set up for two people, one at each oar.
History
Boats used to transport people across rivers, lakes and oceans have been around since pre-historic times and they have undergone significant
changes. During the Victorian period boating and fishing were popular leisure activities as men and woman enjoyed visiting natural
settings. The rowboat was the perfect venue for young ladies and gentlemen because it allowed them to court in a socially acceptable manner
as seen in the chromolithographic print below. Click on the picture to see a larger version of it.
Miscellaneous
The famous impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) painted several canvases with rowboats including the one pictured below
entitled “Young Woman Seated in a Rowboat”. Renoir was born in Limoges, France and began his art career as a boy painting designs onto china
at the Limoges porcelain factory. He moved to Paris in the 1860’s and later in the 1870’s painted along the Seine River which is possibly the
setting for this painting.
