Anastasia Marie Dolby born Anastasia Marie Dolan (c.1823 – 18 February 1873) was a leading British embroiderer and writer. She was the first teacher at the Royal School of Needlework.
Anastasia Marie Dolby | |
|---|---|
 cover of one of her books | |
| Born | Anastasia Marie Dolan c.1823 |
| Died | 18 February 1873 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | embroiderer, teacher and writer |
| Employer | School of Art Needlework |
Life
editDolby was born in 1824 in Westminster.[1]
In 1847 she and Mrs Frances Purcell bought the lease of the premises and the goodwill of her business at 3 New Burlington Street from Frances Lambert who was retiring. Lambert had enjoyed a Royal appointment and she had created a successful needlework business and published on different types of needlework including church embroidery.[2]
In 1850, she married Edwin Thomas Dolby who was a printer's son.[1] He was to become a noted water colour artist[3] and his sister, like her, served a twelve-year apprenticeship as an embroiderer. They lived with his parents at first. In 1859 her husband left the family business when they went to live in Marylebone.[4]
Mary Ann Street and Agnes Blencowe had founded the Ladies’ Ecclesiastical Embroidery Society in 1854.[5][6] [7] The society is creditted with inspiring other groups to take an interest in church embroidery. These were run by volunteers including the wives of architects.[8]
In 1867, Dolby published her book about Church Embroidery[9] and in the following year she published another about the history and use of church vestments.[10] Her husband drew many of the illustrations. Reviews did not recommended the book to men but to women during the winter. The marketing for the books noted that she had been the "embroideress to the Queen".[4] She had worked in presents that were given to the Queen but it does not appear that she ever enjoyed Royal Appointment.[1] The book noted her admiration for the earlier work of Mary Linwood.[4]
Lady Victoria Welby founded, what eventually became the Royal School of Needlework, as the School of Art Needlework in 1872. She employed her friend Dolby as the superintendent and instructor. Its initial premises was a small apartment on Sloane Street,[11] employing 20 women and[1] its first president was Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, Queen Victoria's third daughter, known to the RSN as Princess Helena.[11]
Dolby died in the following year from breast cancer[1] and she was survived by her husband.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Hulse, Lynn (2024-07-11), "Dolby [née Dolan], Anastasia Marie (1823/4–1873), embroiderer and designer", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.90000382471, ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8, retrieved 2024-07-30
- ^ Hulse, Lynn (2024-07-11), "Lambert [married name Sedgwick], Frances (1798–1880), embroiderer, fancy needleworker, and author", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.90000382473, ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8, retrieved 2024-08-10
- ^ "Edwin Thomas Dolby | 53 Artworks at Auction | MutualArt". www.mutualart.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ a b c Scholl, Lesa; Morris, Emily (2022-12-15). The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Victorian Women's Writing. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-030-78318-1.
- ^ www.ely.anglican.org which cites Schoeser et al
- ^ Schoeser, Mary; Bolger, Margaret; Weaver, Cynthia (1998). The Watts Book of Embroidery: English Church Embroidery, 1833-1953. Watts & Company. ISBN 978-0-9533265-0-1.
- ^ Hulse, Lynn (2024-07-11), "Blencowe, Agnes (1817–1896), embroiderer and co-founder of the Ladies' Ecclesiastical Embroidery Society", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.90000382470, ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8, retrieved 2024-08-16
- ^ Cluckie, Linda (2008). The Rise and Fall of Art Needlework: Its Socio-economic and Cultural Aspects. Arena books. p. 36,37. ISBN 978-0-9556055-7-4.
- ^ Dolby, Anastasia Marice (1867). "Church embroidery". library.si.edu. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ "Anastasia Dolby | Church Vestments: their origin, use, and ornament". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ a b Sheppard, F.H.W., ed. (1975). "Royal School of Needlework". South Kensington Museums Area. Vol. 38. London. pp. 231–232. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ The St. James's Magazine and United Empire Review. A.H. Moxon. 1872.