bedcover

This quilt was embroidered by Herbert Bellamy and Charlotte Alice Springall during their engagement, On the quilt they depicted various symbols and images relating to their lives, it is in essence a textile scap book that gives a brief snapshot of the tastes and interests of a family. The motifs include household goods; vases, stoves etc; buildings; animals; a musical score (Auld Lang Syne); their initials can be seen on one of the panels. In the centre of the panel is an image of the cartoon character Ally Sloper who made his debut in the Judy magazine in 1867. He eventually had his own weekly comic Ally Sloper's Half Holiday, first published on 3 May 1884. Star Ally Sloper, a blustery, lazy schemer often found "sloping" through alleys to avoid his landlord and other creditors was a household name and national favourite during this period.