-
The Two Drivers
Henry James Townsend, born 1810 - died 1890 - Enlarge image
The Two Drivers
- Object:
Design
- Place of origin:
London, England (made)
- Date:
1847 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Henry James Townsend, born 1810 - died 1890 (maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
Pencil and watercolour
- Museum number:
E.5896A-1910
- Gallery location:
Prints & Drawings Study Room, level D, case C, shelf 120, box E
In his design reforms, Sir Henry Cole considered that it was essential to choose appropriate ornament. This design was made by his friend, the painter H. J. Townsend (1810-1890), who was also a colleague at the Government School of Design at South Kensington. It was intended for a beer jug. Householders would take such a jug to collect beer from the public house or beer shop for consumption at home. The motifs on the two designs reflect mid Victorian social changes. They also refer to the traditional theme of travellers seeking refreshment. This one shows the new form of travel, the Railway. The other is the traditional coaching inn, the ‘Traveller’s Rest’.
