A Mad, Wicked Folly (36 page)
Read A Mad, Wicked Folly Online
Authors: Sharon Biggs Waller
John William Waterhouse (1849–1917) is one of the
most esteemed Victorian painters. His sensitive and beautiful portrayal of women and femininity is famous all over
the world. His subjects from myth and legend formed a
common bond with his predecessors in the Pre-Raphaelite
Brotherhood, although he is considered an inheritor of
that legacy rather than one of the Brotherhood.
The Lady of
Shalott
(1888),
A Mermaid
(1892–1900), and
Ophelia
(1894)
are some of his most enduring works.
The suffrage movement relied heavily on its artists
to produce the huge amount of publicity needed to get
the word out to the public and to potential members of
women’s unions. Illustration and cartooning were among
the best ways to do this, and just as it can today, a funny
cartoon could speak and show the truth where an article
might miss the mark. The Suffrage Atelier (from a French
word meaning artist’s studio or workshop) Vicky belonged
to is historically accurate. It encouraged women to express
themselves through art and to create things to sell in the
many suffragette shops throughout Great Britain. And yes,
life-drawing classes were taught at the atelier!
Pikelets are similar to the English crumpet, but a
little bit thinner, and were popular tea cakes during
the Edwardian era. Stored in a plastic bag, they will
keep for up to three days. Reheat and serve with
butter, jam, or honey.
INGREDIENTS:
one cup of self-rising flour
one tablespoon of sugar
one egg
one tablespoon of butter, melted
½ cup of milk, or more if needed
Sift the flour into a medium bowl and stir in
the sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry
ingredients and crack in the egg. Stir while
pouring in the milk slowly until the batter
comes together. Add more milk if you want
thinner pikelets. Stir in butter.
Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat,
and coat with a small amount of cooking oil or
spray. Drop a large spoonful of the batter onto
the hot skillet. Flip when bubbles appear, and
cook until browned on both sides.
London: Penguin Books, 1997.
Atkinson, Diane. The Suffragettes in Pictures. Stroud: The
History Press, 1996.
Blackman, Cally. Costume from 1500 to the Present Day.
Andover: Pitkin Guide, 2003.
Brimacombe, Peter. The Edwardians. Andover: Pitkin Guide,
2005.
Crawford, Elizabeth. The Women’s Suffrage Movement: A
Reference Guide 1866–1928. London: Routledge, 1999.
Dawes, Frank. Not in Front of the Servants. London:
Hutchinson, 1984.
Gardiner, Juliet. Manor House: Life in an Edwardian Country
House. San Francisco: Bay Books, 2002.
Gernsheim, Alison. Victorian and Edwardian Fashion: A
Photographic Survey. Mineola: Dover, 1963.
Hardwick, Clara. The World of Upstairs Downstairs. New
York City: Holt, Reinhart, and Winston, 1976.
Harris, Kristina. Victorian and Edwardian Fashions for
Women 1840–1919. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer, 1995.
Harrison, Shirley. Sylvia Pankhurst: A Maverick Life, 1882–
1960. London: Aurum Press Ltd, 2003.
Hattersley, Roy. The Edwardians. New York City: St. Martin’s
Press, 2005.
Hayward, Edward. Upstairs and Downstairs. Andover:
Pitkin Guide, 1998.
Johnson, Eleanor. Ladies’ Dress Accessories.
Buckinghamshire: Shire Publications Ltd, 2004.
Karlin, Zorn Elyse. Jewelry and Metalwork in the Arts and
Crafts Tradition. Atglen: Schiffer, 1993.
Laver, James. Costume and Fashion: A Concise History.
London: Thames & Hudson Ltd, 1969.
Liddington, Jill. Rebel Girls: Their Fight for the Vote. London:
Virago Press, 2006.
Marlow, Joyce, ed. Votes for Women: The Virago Book of
Suffragettes. London: Virago Press, 2001.
Mendes, Valerie D., and Amy De La Haye. Lucille Ltd,
London, Paris, New York and Chicago: 1890s–1930s.
London: V & A Publishing, 2009.
S
HARON BIGGS WALLER
Mode Illustrée” Mineola: Dover, 1998.
Phillips, Melanie. The Ascent of Woman: A History of the
Suffragette Movement and the Ideas Behind It. London:
Little, Brown, 2003.
History. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2004.
Trippi, Peter. J. W. Waterhouse. London: Phaidon Press
Limited, 2002.
Worsley, Lucy. If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of
the Home. New York City: Walker & Company, 2011.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
427
acknowledgments
This novel would not have seen the light of day had it not
been for the many people who lent me their talent and
wisdom.
Thanks to John M. Cusick, my incredible agent, for
making my dream of becoming a novelist come true, and
for being so generous with your feedback and support.
Having you on my side makes me a very lucky writer girl.
To Scott Treimel for taking care of those little details
that make a writer want to tear her hair out. I knew I was
in good hands from the start.
To Martha Alderson, the Plot Whisperer, also known
(by me, at least!) as a writer’s “oracle.” Thank you for helping me find Vicky’s voice and for guiding me along the plot
path.
To Gloria Kempton, instructor at Writer’s Digest
University, who lent her expertise in the early drafts of
Folly
when the paint was still wet on the canvas.
And to editorial consultant Sarah Cloots who put her
stellar red pencil to work, not once but twice, and helped
me shape the final drafts.
To my editor, Leila Sales, for helping me find Vicky’s
story through her patient questions and thoughtful
remarks. I’m a better writer for having worked with you
and I’m forever grateful!
To all the incredible people at Viking Children’s Books,
especially Regina Hayes, Ken Wright, Kendra Levin,
Kathryn Hinds, Janet Pascal, and Kim Ryan.
To my father, Richard Biggs, a fine artist in his own
right, who showed me the fundamentals of art and shared
his own stories about art school. But especially for taking me to the Art Institute of Chicago when I was a little
girl and holding my hand in front of Georges Seurat’s “A
Sunday on La Grande Jatte” (1884). You instilled in me a
love of art.
To art professor Christine Boos, my friend and a brilliant
artist, who explained mural making, painting technique,
and art history. Any mistakes are definitely mine!
To my writer friends who gave me valuable and honest
advice, but who also patched me up with kind words and
sent me back into the fray when it was needed: Jennifer
Salvato Doktorski, Katie Mitschelen, Tori Avey, and Tiffany
Reisz. But especially to Melissa Azarian and Terri King
who were with me through every single draft.
To Elizabeth Crawford, author of
The Women’s Suffrage
Movement
, the bible of British suffrage. Thank you for writing such a compendium, and thank you for answering my
questions about obscure things, such as what Clement’s
Inn looked like. And to Beverley Cook, curator of Social &
Working History at the Museum of London, for helping me
with the museum’s suffrage collection and answering my
many, many questions. And to Dr. Helen Pankhurst, granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst, who very kindly answered
my queries about her venerable grandmother.
To Evangeline Holland of Edwardianpromenade.
com; Stephanie Pina of PreRaphaelitesisterhood.com and
LizzieSiddal.com; and Jennifer Parrish of Parrishrelics.
com for creating beautiful and inspiring websites of the
Edwardian era, Pre-Raphaelite art, and Pre-Raphaelite
inspired jewelry.
S
HARON BIGGS WALLER
To my family who understood that I wasn’t being
anti-social, I was simply writing. And to my niece, Ashley,
who gave me some invaluable insight.
And finally, a humble thanks to the suffragettes who
fought and sacrificed so much for women’s rights.
ACKNOWLEGDMENTS
431
