Saturday, January 29, 2022

Hilda Cowham: Mistress and Maid and an Earlier Pandemic

There have never been any good pandemics. British illustrator Hilda Cowham (1873-1964) published an undated drawing inscribed Mistress & Maid: If she thought her life was in danger. The perceived danger is that of infection. The art depicts a mistress peeking her head out from behind a smallpox curtain while her maid holds up to her face a bottle crudely labeled disinfectant (with spelling corrected) to protect herself. The illustration seems to refer to the smallpox pandemic of 1870-1874, possibly in the setting of London. The original is offered for 325 GBP on AbeBooks.

Mistress and Maid:  If she thought her life was in danger
Hilda Cowham

Hilda Cowham
AbeBooks listing accessed January 29, 2022
Hilda Cowham
AbeBooks item description


Note:  This work has printer's markings indicating that it was published. Now the only question is where and when—and who can figure it all out. 



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