Design
ca. 1940-1955 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
'Waldybags' was the name given to a particular type of luxury handbag sold by the firm H. Wald & Co. after the Second World War. They were characterised by and unusual decorative technique by which minuscule glass beads were applied to painted decoration, creating a glistening, textured effect. These handbags were popular with the British royal family. Although the firm is synonymous with this style of decoration, the decorative technique was in fact developed and executed by Florence Campbell, a Jewish-German immigrant who married a Scottish engineer and moved to England in the 1940s. She expanded her skills in German pen work, a popular past time for young women in Germany, to encompass a range of decorative objects including household items and shoes, as well as bags. The work was initially carried out solely by Mrs Campbell. Later she taught the technique to her niece, Joan Ashley-Biggs, and then the latter's daughter, Margaret Wood, who continued to design and paint Waldybags until the late 1970s.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
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| Materials and techniques | This technique was developed by Florence Campbell and derived from the traditional craft of German penwork. This design on plastic was intended to show potential clients what the pattern would look like when transferred onto objects of various colours. Campbell also used the technique of beaded painting to decorate handbags which were popularised by the firm H. Wald and Co. and known as 'Waldybags'. |
| Brief description | Design for a compact by Florence Campbell (c.1886- c.1970) |
| Physical description | A painted design on transparent plastic for a make-up compact. The design is circular and consists of an outer band of floral decoration around an inner bouquet of flowers. It is painted in coloured paint to which have been applied miniscule clear beads to created a textured, glistening effect. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Mrs M. Wood |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | 'Waldybags' was the name given to a particular type of luxury handbag sold by the firm H. Wald & Co. after the Second World War. They were characterised by and unusual decorative technique by which minuscule glass beads were applied to painted decoration, creating a glistening, textured effect. These handbags were popular with the British royal family. Although the firm is synonymous with this style of decoration, the decorative technique was in fact developed and executed by Florence Campbell, a Jewish-German immigrant who married a Scottish engineer and moved to England in the 1940s. She expanded her skills in German pen work, a popular past time for young women in Germany, to encompass a range of decorative objects including household items and shoes, as well as bags. The work was initially carried out solely by Mrs Campbell. Later she taught the technique to her niece, Joan Ashley-Biggs, and then the latter's daughter, Margaret Wood, who continued to design and paint Waldybags until the late 1970s. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.14:1-2014 |
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| Record created | November 19, 2013 |
| Record URL |
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