Izannah Walker Dolls Celebrate Queen Victoria's Birthday!

Tillie Tinkham the Mouse Is Seen Under The Queen's Chair!

Little girls love to play as though they are Princesses!
Princess Bridget tells the others,
"I am the Eldest and Heir to the Throne!"
Though Bridget is not usually as assertive as her sister Eliza, on this point she insists.
She holds a portrait of Queen Victoria when she was a baby.
The portrait of Bridget is surrounded by a fancy tintype frame. 

Bridget and her sister Eliza are Izannah Walker inspired dolls made by talented dollmaker Margaret Flavin. Margaret Flavin named Bridget and Eliza after Izannah Walker's real sisters and Bridget was the eldest of the real Walker sisters.

The chosen music to accompany this post is Canon in D:
Click Here for Specially Chosen Musical Entertainments.
Return Here to Read the Corgyncombe Courant.
The music is so delightful whilst reading!

The Turret at Castle Corgyncombe.
Heirloom sweet peas are on the arbor.


The girls are delighted to roam about the lovely hills and dales gathering flowers in their vasculum and observing nature!


One morn a little Quail was spotted!


Gathering flowers of May in a vasculum, Violets, Forget-Me-Nots, and Lily of the Valley on a mossy log.


An antique Herbarium with many pressed flowers and plants gathered during a European Tour.
The flowers have all been sewn in place.
Above is Ivy from Kenilworth Castle.
Queen Victoria visited Kenilworth Castle when she was a girl of eleven years.


The girls enjoy gathering and pressing flowers.
After the girls have gathered their flowers they press them in their own flower press.


On the art stand is a small book
"Victoria, The Good Queen and Empress",
that is just the right size for Bridget and Eliza.
Tillie Tinkham, the seamstress mouse at Corgyncombe, made the miniature bobbin lace bookmark.
The book is open to a drawing of little Victoria,
as it says at the top of the page "The Child Princess".
The book was found near the area that A. A. Milne was inspired by to write about the
Hundred Acre Wood in Winnie the Pooh.


Eliza holding the "Little Dear One" and a bouquet of Forget-Me-Nots, Lily of the Valley, and a Violet.


Heather from Loch Katrine in Scotland
The Corgyncombe Courant chose to feature from the Herbarium, specimens gathered in places that Queen Victoria visited.


The shawl Bridget is wearing was woven in Scotland.
It is "Stewart Victoria" Tartan.

The girls celebrated Queen Victoria's birthday,
which was May 24th!


Bridget thinks that the baby portrait of Queen Victoria bears a resemblance to herself!


The Turret at Castle Corgyncombe.


A Remembrance Book of Queen Victoria's Jubilee.





A pressed plant from Edinburgh Castle.


Peonies gathered from Corgyncombe Gardens.


Tillie Tinkham the Seamstress Mouse of Corgyncombe was
Frightened by the Royal Kitty Whilst Under the Queen's Chair!


A small bouquet of Forget-Me-Nots, Lily of the Valley, and a Violet.





Bridget and Eliza's Cousin Charlotte has lovely braided and styled red hair.
It is delightfully old fashioned and reminds us of Queen Victoria!
Charlotte is looking for her coral beads and suspects that her younger cousins might have borrowed it.
Charlotte and all her wonderful clothing were also made by Margaret Flavin.





Charlotte found her beads but the frock that she desires to put on over her chemise and petticoat is amongst the missing...





An old fashioned Corgyncombe rose tussie mussie by candlelight.


Pressed leaves from Holyrood Castle.


Eliza with pressed flowers from the bouquet that Bridget held with Lily of the Valley, bleeding heart, and a violet.
Princess Eliza is wearing the frock that she "borrowed" from her Cousin Charlotte.
She thought it looked fit for a Princess!

 

Some of the Queen Victoria Ephemera from the Corgyncombe Collection.
The art stand made by Seth Tudor is a replica of the art stand that Tasha Tudor had.


A flower specimen from Melrose Abbey.


Wild Violets at Eliza's feet!


Bridget holding the "Little Dear One" and a bouquet of Lily of the Valley, bleeding heart, and a violet.


A specimen from Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott.





A rose, thyme, forget-me-not, and lavender tussie-mussie from the Gardens about Corgyncombe.


The vasculum with old fashioned children decorating the door.


The lovely flowers within the vasculum rest upon a carpet of moss.



Cousin Emma arrived at Corgyncombe after the Queen Victoria Birthday Celebration.
Here she is taking a moment to adjust and admire her dainty, lovely shoe!
Emma, her clothing and shoes were made by Margaret Flavin.
Emma's shoes look very Queen Victoria!


Some of the photographs and some of the writings on this post are from previous Corgyncombe Courant posts that can be found here on the Corgyncombe Courant and from our web site and our previous postings elsewhere on the internet.

Please do not "Pin" our photographs.
Please do not post our photographs on facebook.

Our email:
atthecottagegate@yahoo.com
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Photographs, images, and text copyright © 2000-2012 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson. All rights reserved. Photographs, images, and/or text may not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson.

http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2012/07/izannah-walker-dolls-celebrate-queen.html
copyright © 2012 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Izannah Walker Sisters Bridget and Eliza!

Ooooh, What a Lovely Bonnet!!!

The Exciting News that Trilly Tweet Sweet shared with Melissa!
'Twas a joyful reunion when Bridget's sister Eliza arrived in the beautiful, sparkly new fallen snow!
Bridget and Eliza are Izannah Walker inspired dolls and they both were made, along with their wonderful clothes, by talented doll maker Margaret Flavin!
Eliza looks like the breath of spring in her exquisite bonnet with yellow feather flowers and blue capelet!!!

The chosen music to accompany this post is "Edelweiss".
Click Here for Specially Chosen Musical Entertainments.
Return Here to Read the Corgyncombe Courant.
You might want to replay the music more than once as it is so lovely whilst reading!

Izannah Walker (1817-1888) made dolls using a special technique.
Izannah Walker lived in New England and her Walker ancestors lived very near where Diane and Sarah's Walkers came from.
You can find more information about Izannah Walker dolls and the technique used in making them in the Christmas 2011 issue of "Early American Life" magazine and in the August 2011 issue of "Antique Doll Collector" magazine.


A chickadee one beautiful morn at Corgyncombe Cottage.

Eliza and Bridget love to look out the window at the birds at the feeder.
As it is snowing and blowing they wonder how the birds keep warm in the cold.
Snow and rain have covered the window with an icy glaze. 
This photograph was taken outside, looking in to the sisters reading from
"The Child's Bijou". Bijou is a Jewel.
Willy Nilly Tweet Sweet has fluttered onto Eliza's lap and listens to the poetry reading. As they are reading, a dappled bit of sunshine is coming in through the window onto the book.

Song of The Snow-Bird
 
The ground was all covered with snow one day,
And two little sisters were busy at play,
When a snow-bird was sitting close by on a tree,
And merrily singing his chick-a-dee-dee.
 
He had not been singing that tune very long,
Ere Emily heard him, so loud was his song;
"O, sister, look out of the window," said she,
"Here's a dear little bird singing chick-a-dee-dee.
 
"Poor fellow, he walks in the snow and the sleet,
And has neither stockings nor shoes on his feet;
I pity him so, how cold he must be!
And yet he keeps singing his chick-a-dee-dee.
 
"If I were a bare-footed snow-bird, I know
I would not stay out in the cold and the snow;
I wonder what makes him so full of his glee?
He's all the time singing that chick-a-dee-dee.
 
"Oh, mother! do get him some stockings and shoes,
And a nice little frock, and a hat, if he choose;
I wish he'd come into the parlor and see
How warm we would make him, poor chick-a-dee-dee."
 
The bird had flown down for some pieces of bread,
And heard every world little Emily said;
"What a figure I'd make in that dress," thought he,
And he laughed as he warbled his chick-a-dee-dee.
 
"I'm grateful," he said, "for the wish you express,
But I have no occasion for such a fine dress;
I had rather remain with my limbs all free,
Than be hobbled about, singing chick-a-dee-dee.
 
"There is One, my dear child, though I can not tell who,
Has clothed me already, and warm enough, too;
Good morning, oh, who are so happy as we!"
And away he went, singing his chick-a-dee-dee.

~ Woodworth

Before coming to Corgyncombe both Bridget and Eliza lived with their dear sister Jane and their dear Mother Flavin (as they fondly refer to Margaret Flavin) who made them all. Margaret Flavin named Bridget, Eliza, and Jane after Izannah Walker's real sisters.
Bridget came first to live at Corgyncombe Cottage and her sister Eliza soon joined her.
When Eliza told her sister Jane that she also was to be leaving, Jane was in tears at the thought of their parting!

Eliza brought her delightful peacock blue traveling box with her own name beautifully framed on top. Inside the box were cards from Jane to her sister Bridget and to their Cousin Charlotte.


On the art stand made by Seth Tudor, son of Tasha Tudor, is the
"New Cyclopaedia of Botany and Complete Book of Herbs", an advertising card with a lovely dove delivering a letter and a rose, and a trade card with forget-me-nots from an Apothecary in Bellows Falls, Vermont.


The card to Bridget has a loving message from her sister Jane.
Tucked in the envelope with the card, Bridget received the pressed rose.
She will find a special place for the rose in her Herbarium.
Eliza brought with her a gift from Jane, for Bridget, a splendid pincushion edged in lace!
How she treasures the card, the rose, and the pincushion!


This Herbarium in the Corgyncombe Library Collection is one of the most exquisite that we've seen.
2012 marks the 150th anniversary of the compiling of this quaint and charming Herbarium, made in 1862.


The adorable girls Eliza and Bridget are so happy to be together!


Burgundy Rose. Language, Gentle and Innocent.


Bridget (in the right of the photograph) is rather quiet and shy,
whilst Eliza, as Margaret Flavin says, and we agree, is more adventurous.


Sisters Eliza and Bridget are holding hands.
Jane has written Bridget's name on the bottom of the pincushion.


The dried pressed flowers are attached to the paper with delicate tiny stitches.


Eliza's darling shoes and stockings, made by Margaret Flavin!


A Remembrance Book
with beautiful script written in 1849.

Several views of Eliza's beautiful bonnet made by Margaret Flavin!

Flowers gathered and arranged at Corgyncombe.




Eliza and Bridget love the peacock's feathers!


The Herbarium Endpapers

Bridget and Eliza enjoy going outside to visit the peacock.
Doesn't he have a lovely crown?


Bridget holding one of the Peacock's feathers.Bridget tells Eliza "See, sister dear, this is how the birds stay so warm; 'tis the fluffy, downy feathers underneath. They do not need stockings, shoes, a frock, nor a hat."


Edelweiss under glass looks like a sweet little sleeping face.


Whilst antiquing we found this darling little bodice that fit Bridget perfectly!


Eliza is wearing an antique bodice that was already part of the Corgyncombe Clothing Collection.


Bridget is holding a mirror that reflects one of the flowers on her bodice.


Bridget and Eliza's doll.
They want Tillie Tinkham, Corgyncombe's Seamstress Mouse, to help them fashion her a frock.

Edelweiss


Valley in Winter

Blowing winds and drifting snow in the high altitude of a Corgyncombe winter.


A tufted titmouse in flight at Corgyncombe.


Eliza holds Tillie Tinkham, the seamstress mouse at Corgyncombe.

The Corgyncombe bird watchers report the
Return of the Red-Winged Blackbird on March 2 and that the first Robin was seen on March 12!


As the window has cleared and their reading is over,
Eliza thinks she sees a little red squirrel out near the bird feeder.
She thinks she would like to go out about Corgyncombe and see more of that little red squirrel...

http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2012/03/izannah-walker-sisters-bridget-and.html 
copyright © 2012 Diane Shepard Johnson and Sarah E. Johnson

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