All week we've been highlighting women artists from our collection, and today we're focusing on one of our most fascinating artists: Lorina Bulwer, a 19thC resident of the Great Yarmouth workhouse 'lunatic' ward. THREAD 🧵 #WomensHistoryMonth A colourful sampler in red and pink with two stylised male f
During Lorina’s time at the workhouse she created a series of embroidered letters, made by creating a patchwork of fabric which she stitched her text on to. We call them samplers because they are similar to the needlework samplers made to teach embroidery to young girls. Two museum staff in gloves and masks lay out pieces of the s
On these samplers Lorina mainly stitches words, all in capital letters with no punctuation. They read as a constant stream of thought, sometimes angry, sometimes funny. They provide us with an insight into her mind as well as the world of the workhouse. A close up of a section of a sampler, embroidered with text
Through our research and the details in her samplers, we know a lot about Lorina Bulwer. She was born in 1838 in Beccles, Suffolk and moved to Great Yarmouth with her mother, who ran a boarding house, where she lived until her mother died in 1893. A section of sampler covered entirely with embroidered text,
In 1901 Lorina appears on the census in the workhouse. We think Lorina may have been sent there because her brother was not able to take care of her after their mother died. She spent the rest of her life in the workhouse, until she died in 1912 from influenza. A section of sampler on a green fabric background, with two
During this time she created her incredible samplers. The GY workhouse was involved in the 'Brabazon Scheme' which encouraged female workhouse inmates to use handicrafts as occupational therapy. Perhaps this is why Lorina was allowed to stitch her samplers. A section of sampler covered in embroidered text including t
Lorina’s samplers are long, made up of short sections, with the longest around 310cm. They are unique and a rare example of something created by a workhouse inmate, as well as a personal piece of writing from a woman of that time. This photo of a sampler shows the length of the piece laid oMuseum staff arranging long textile samplers in a flat displ
Learn more about Lorina and try creativity and wellbeing exercises based on her work in this fantastic resource pack developed by our sister site @GressenhallFW, where sections of her work are on display (when the museum is open): bit.ly/3qnTwLn [opens as a PDF] Embroidered section of a sampler covered in text, beginning
You can also try our children’s Lorina activities for ages 7-14 in this activity pack: bit.ly/2MSX4I6 [opens as a PDF]
View the full record on our Collections Online here: bit.ly/3bg7lr9

#WomensHistoryMonth #LorinaBulwer

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More from @NorwichCastle

5 Mar
It’s time for our second #WomensHistoryMonth guest post from @rosiesplaques! This time, Nicole tells us about the unstoppable woman behind this handmade blue plaque, which was put up outside The Assembly House in May 2019. Read on below! #WHM2021

Photo credit: @NorfolkHC A black and white photograph of a street scene. A woman stanA circular blue plaque on a railing. White letters read: 'Do
“Dorothy Jewson was a fearless, trailblazing feminist, born in 1884 of an alderman in the coal and timber business and a mother from Norwich’s famous Jarrold family. She came from Thorpe Hamlet and was educated at Norwich Girls’ School when it was situated in the Assembly House.”
“Initially a teacher, she became active in politics. She joined the suffrage movement, pressed for alleviation of poverty, supported female workers’ rights and took an anti-war stance. In 1924 she was one of the first women elected to Parliament and gave a rousing maiden speech.”
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4 Mar
On the surface this gloriously colourful painting, 'Flowers' (c.1840-50) by Emily Stannard, is a stunning still-life. But on closer inspection we find that it's even more than that - it's an act of artistic rebellion! #WomensHistoryMonth Thread 👇 A lush, colourful bouquet o...
In the 19th century many people believed that women were only capable of copying what they saw, rather than using their imagination to create something new. A detail of the painting sh...
At first glance this does look like a freshly picked bouquet of flowers arranged and expertly reproduced on canvas. However, Stannard couldn't have copied this arrangement straight from life. A detail of the painting sh...
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