• Facets (new session)
• Description
• Metadata
• Settings
  • owl:sameAs
  • Inference Rule: asEquivalentb3sb3sifpfacetshttp://www.w3.org/2002/07/owl#ldpoplwebskos-transvirtrdf-labelvirtrdf-urlNone
    

The imagery of this cover or hanging reflects popular culture in mid-nineteenth century Britain and a patriotic interest in the military prowess of the country. The inclusion of Lord Raglan suggests a date of manufacture after the Crimean War (1854-56). The selection of episodes from plays about Robin Hood and Wat Tyler and the reference to the Anti-Corn Law League, may reflect the maker's support for radical politics. The depiction of Theobald Matthew, a leading Irish Catholic Temperance campaigner, suggests an interest in the Temperance Movement. Historical significance: Throughout the 19th century, Britain's unrivalled position as a successful mercantile and manufacturing economy created unprecedented technological, social and economic changes. The revolution brought about by industrialisation and global trade affected all levels of society. As the educational programme of Victorian England established itself, with its emphasis on social improvement, quilts moved from the home to the public sphere. Some of the most inventive examples of 19th-century patchwork were produced for exhibition and display, often with a didactic aim. The pieces were designed to show off individual skill - such as difficult inlay patchwork - but also to promote Victorian values of perseverance and hard work.