Design
mid 20th century (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 | |
| Materials and techniques | The artist, Florence Campbell, derived her technique of painting satin from the traditional craft of German penwork, which was considered a genteel pasttime for young women. She combined coloured paint with an adhesive substance called Instanta and applied it to the fabric through a small paper nozzle. Very fine glass beads were then scattered on top of the finished design and stuck to the desired painted areas.
Initially, as in this case, Campbell painted her designs onto satin cloth that was later made up into handbags. However the painted panels were often damaged during the bags' manufacture, so latterly she painted directly onto already made-up bags. |
| Brief description | Design on satin for a painted bag by Florence Campbell (c.1886- c.1970) |
| Physical description | A painted panel for a handbag on cream satin. The satin is folded in half to replicate the two sides of the handbag, and each side is painted in adhesive paint in an identical design of flowers in a vase surrounded by stylised swags and foliage. In places the outline has been partially filled with very fine glass beads to create areas of colour and texture. The panel is incomplete with some areas not filled in colour. |
| 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.3-2014 |
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| Record created | November 19, 2013 |
| Record URL |
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