Reticule, 1828, English; produced and sold by the Female Society for Birmingham. Silk, printed with abolitionist image and text

Bag of pale pink silk with a steel frame and chain. The front of the bag is printed in black with an image of a black woman, seated under a tree, carrying a baby with hills and a house in the background. On the other side is a printed text.

Given by Miss E. F. Howard

NB The term 'negro' was used historically to describe people of black African heritage but, since the 1960s, has fallen from usage and, increasingly, is considered offensive. The term is repeated here in its original historical context.

This bag was produced and sold by the Female Society for Birmingham, the first and most important female abolitionist group in Britain. It was previously known as the Ladies Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves. The bag was probably intended as a work-bag for use by women at sewing circles. Abolitionist women made objects decorated with abolitionist emblems to sell and to decorate their homes. The image of the black enslaved woman nursing her child printed on the front of this bag was one of a series commissioned specifically by the Society for distribution in albums and on their propaganda merchandise. This particular image appeared on other abolitionist objects, including transfer-printed plates. Another bag in the V&A's collection is printed with another image from the series. The significance of this image of a nursing mother is that it countered the common stereotype of the time of black women as licentious and lustful, and therefore tempters of owners and overseers, or at least the architects of their own abuse at the hands of owners and overseers. These images were very successful in encouraging an emotional enagagement with the plight of enslaved women, but in the long term passive stereotypes such as these were very detrimental in the struggle against racism.

Bags such as this were produced by groups campaigning for the abolition of slavery. The bags were sold with campaigning materials such as pamphlets and newspaper extracts and a card explaining the purpose of the bags. Women were particularly involved in the dissemination of abolitionist material culture, such as bags, pin-cushions, jewellery, prints and pamphlets, particularly in the late 1820s when women increasingly dominated the movement.

Britain officially ended its participation in the trade in enslaved Africans in 1807, though British banks continued to provide credit to foreign traders and the institution of slavery remained intact in the British Empire. Slavery was not abolished within the British Empire until 1834 (the Emancipation Act was actually passed in 1833), though enslaved people were required to serve a further 7 years as apprentices to their masters.

This bag with its associated pamphlets is one of two in the Museum collection that were produced by the Female Society for Birmingham as part of their campaign for the abolition of slavery. The Society was founded in 1825 (originally called the Ladies Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves) in West Bromwich, near Birmingham. The bags were made by women at sewing circles where objects decorated with abolitionist emblems were produced to decorate their homes and for distribution as part of their campaigning activities.

The image of the black enslaved woman nursing her child printed on the front of this bag was one of a series commissioned specifically by the Society for distribution in albums of prints and on their propaganda merchandise. This particular image appeared on other abolitionist objects, including transfer-printed plates. The workbags were presented to King George IV, Princess Victoria and other aristocrats and wives of prominent politicians, as well as to other women's anti-slavery societies. The significance of this image of a nursing mother is that it countered the common stereotype of the time of black women as licentious and lustful. These images were very successful in encouraging an emotional engagement with the plight of enslaved women, but in the long term passive stereotypes such as these were very detrimental in the struggle against racism.

T.20-1951