Printed silk satin reticule bag, designed by Samuel Lines, made by Female Society for Birmingham, Birmingham, ca. 1825

White silk satin reticule bag. Printed on the front in black with a scene of a black woman sitting under a tree holding a child in her arms. To the right stands an overseer wearing a broad-brimmed hat, loose shirt and cravat, short jacket, trousers and shoes, and he is carrying a whip. With his left hand he points to the distance where there are black enslaved people hoeing in a field. Under the image is a short inscription and there is another inscription printed on the back of the bag. The bag is lined with white glazed cotton and has been stitched and shaped to take a frame, though it has no frame.

Given by Mrs Foster

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.

The image on the front of this bag comes from an engraving by Samuel Lines which was included in the Album of the Female Society for Birmingham etc., for the Relief of British Negro Slaves, published in about 1825.
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 sewing work-bag. Abolitionist women set up sewing circles where objects decorated with abolitionist emblems were produced. The image of the black enslaved mother with 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. Another bag in the V&A's collection is printed with another image from the series. The significance of this image of a 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 became increasingly significant in the movement.
Britain officially ended 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 in British territories until 1834 (the Emancipation Act was 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. Recipients included King George IV, Princess Victoria and other aristocrats and wives of prominent politicians.

T.227-1966