Display Case 4

Artefact ID: JL006882

Victorians were concerned with health and hygiene, which had ties to their sense of respectability. Bone toothbrushes were commonly manufactured from cattle femur and ilium bones. Made by John Lord & Co of London, this toothbrush is probably a “Florida Type”, with a rounded-square head, teardrop handle and gradual neck. It is stamped “London Made”, and “extra fine warranted” and “superfine” are also written on the handle, indicating the softness of the bristles. It’s interesting to note that the handle has teeth marks on it.

Artefact ID: JL009196

Eyeglasses with coloured lenses were first noted in twelfth-century China, where judges would wear smoke-coloured lenses to disguise their emotions in court.  However, it wasn’t until the eighteenth century that blue or green corrective glasses became popular in Europe thanks to English optician James Ayscough. These spectacle lenses are different colours: one blue and one red.  In 1877, several publications claimed that blue glass could cure things like back pain, baldness and insomnia. Oval glasses, like the ones found at this site, were popular in America between 1810 and 1830, then again in the 1850s. Australia, may also have followed these trends.

Artefact ID: JL011391

These items probably date to the very end of the nineteenth or start of twentieth centuries, as all-glass syringes were first developed by H. Wulfing Luer of Paris in 1897.The presence of a glass syringe is interesting as archaeological investigations of brothel sites in the United States such as Endicott Street, Brooklyn, suggest that numerous examples of hygiene items, including glass syringes, could indicate the presence of a brothel.

Artefact ID: JL011801

This thermometer measures in Fahrenheit, with the ‘normal’ temperature for a person marked with a little arrow. Medical thermometers have been used since approximately the eighteenth century, although a portable clinical thermometer for measuring human and animal temperature was not invented until 1867.

Artefact ID: JL011948

This tonic was made by Alexander C. Barry, a New York wigmaker. Barry’s product “Tricopherous for The Skin and Hair” was made from alcohol, combined with castor oil, fragrant oils and one-percent tincture of cantharides (the dried, crushed bodies of the blister beetle or Spanish fly). Though now known to be toxic, Barry claimed that his tonic was “guaranteed to restore the hair to bald heads and to make it grow thick, long and soft” (Odessey’s Virtual Museum 2019).

Artefact ID: PM00012

During the nineteenth century there were a number of new poisonous substances in circulation. This little, bright blue poison bottle has raised ribs running vertically along the body panels and the words “NOT TO BE TAKEN” moulded on it. Poison bottles, as well as being clearly labelled, often had raised shapes such as ribbing, crosses or beading and were in more unusual shapes to make them more distinctive and easier to distinguish in the dark. This ensured that people did not accidentally drink them.

Artefact ID: PM00014

This lovely little clear glass perfume bottle still has its dropper and cork stopper.  Perfume has been used for centuries. However, during the nineteenth century perfume became far more widely worn by the masses. Scents were generally natural, either floral or botanical, with rose, violet, bergamot, lemon and lavender being the most popular.

Artefact ID: PM00093

This little ceramic pot contained Thomas Holloway’s extremely popular quack ointment, which claimed to cure: “Scropuous & indolent tumours, inventerate ulcers, ulserated sore legs, burns, scolds, ringworms, sore heads and all cutaneous diseases, grout and rhemitism”. The ointment was invented in London in 1837. The recipe was: “made up of mainly aloes, rhubarb root and ginger, together with some cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, glaubers salt and potassium sulphate, all held together by a confection of roses”.

Artefact ID: JL016560 / JL016318 / JL007763 / JL016320 / JL011435 / JL009729 / JL016637 / JL016322 / JL011777 / JL016636 / JL016321 / JL012319 / JL016364 / JL009679

This collection from across the site features small, colourful round glass beads and bugle beads (drawn tubular beads). Beads were used for jewellery, embroidery, trim for clothing, for counting prayers in rosaries and as a weight to a sewing bobbin or spangle. Because of their size, they would have been easily lost through the floorboards of the house.

Artefact ID: JL006871 / JL009212

Symbolism was important in Victorian jewellery. The buckle was a common motif, symbolising love, protection, strength, fidelity, and eternity. The remaining stone in the ring is blue, representing a forget-me-not and symbolising “don’t forget me” or “don’t forget I love you”.  Victorian-era rings and other pieces of jewellery often had stones which spelled out names or phrases like “Lovely” “Darling” and “Love”.

Artefact ID: JL006878

This is made from an early form of plastic, either vulcanite or ebonite, that was intended to imitate jet jewellery.  Jet jewellery was extremely popular during the Victorian period, as mourning attire was the social norm when a loved one died. It became a general fashion following the death of Prince Albert in 1861, after which Queen Victoria stayed in mourning dress for the rest of her life.

Artefact ID: JL006907

This copper alloy brooch with green glass insets is a cheap trinket made to immitate a more expensive gold and emerald item.  In the Victorian era , emeralds represented hope, renewal, rebirth and life. One of Queen Victoria’s most famous jewellery sets was a diamond and emerald parure, with earrings, brooch, necklace and diadem, which was a gift from Prince Albert in 1843. The Queen’s style was widely emulated by the public, and emeralds became popular after this date. 

Artefact ID: JL006946

This cufflink is made from copper alloy with a white glass insert in a playing card design. The playing cards have been painted with their respective denominations.  Cufflinks generally reflected the wearer’s personality and interests. This item could indicate the owner’s interest in card games or gambling. One wonders what else did they have up their sleeve?

Artefact ID: JL006949

This delicate copper alloy buckle was probably one half of a woman’s belt buckle. It is moulded in the shape of a shell and gilded to immitate gold.  The renewed interest in ancient Greece and Rome during the first half of the nineteenth century led to mythology being incorporated into jewellery designs. The scallop shell links to the mythology of the ‘Birth of Venus’ and is a metaphor for love.

Artefact ID: JL006973 / JL006753

These copper alloy watch hands and winder are parts of a pocket or fob watch. This would have been attached to either a chain or leather strap and connected to the waistcoat, lapel or belt, preventing the watch from being dropped.  Pocket watches were the most common type of personal and military timepieces until wristwatches became common after WWI.

Artefact ID: JL007122

A number of beautifully moulded buttons were recovered during the excavations. This depicts a huntress, perhaps Diana or Artemis.  During the first half of the nineteenth century archaeological discoveries in the Mediterranean led to a renewed interest in ancient Greece and Rome, and this interest had an influence on design and fashion.

Artefact ID: JL016431

This sporting button depicts a dog hunting a rat. These types of buttons often came in sets of four, with each button depicting a different but related scene. The shank attachment allows for a decorative image to be on the button face unimpeded by buttonholes.

Artefact ID: JL007146

This small copper alloy box , known as a vesta box, was designed to hold matches.  In the nineteenth century, matches were named vestas  after the Roman gooddess of fire and the hearth, Vesta. Vesta boxes became increasingly common following the invention of lucifer matches in 1826.  These matches were highly dangerous, as friction could cause them to ignite.  To avoid this, they were were safely stored in vesta boxes, which were often attached to a watch chain.

Artefact ID: JL007202

This copper alloy brooch features a mosaic-like blue, red, yellow, black and white enamelled pattern.  The enamelling technique used on this brooch is ‘Cloisonné’, which was used for decorating metalwork to imitate gemstones. Flattened wires are placed in a pattern on a base metal sheet and the voids then filled with the enamel and fired. This technique regained popularity in the nineteenth century and patterns were often influenced by Japanese designs.

Artefact ID: JL007221

While a number of jewellery items were recovered, all are cheap imitations utilising inexpensive metals, gilding, glass and enamels. This pendant has been gilded to look like gold and the clear glass insert made to imitate a jewel.During the Victorian era jewellery was used to demonstrate a person’s social status and all women, except for the extremely poor, wore some form of jewellery.

Artefact ID: JL007230

This delicately carved bone deer in a woodland setting would have formed part of a brooch.  The bone inset was probably placed within a metal fame and covered with a glass panel.  Victorian jewellery often harked back to nature, undoubtably inspired by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s interest in the natural world, which was reflected in the Queen’s own jewellery choices. Pedigree dogs were also very popular and this period saw a rise in domestic pets.

Artefact ID: JL007322

Bone buttons were some of the earliest clothing fasteners.  Early bone buttons were handmade but in 1832 a press machine was invented that made manufacture cheap and efficient. 

Artefact ID: JL007614

Three-hole and five-hole buttons are generally thought to be earlier than four-hole varieties.  Plain bone buttons were generally utilitarian and used for fastening undergarments and shirts.

Artefact ID: JL007463

This intricately-moulded stylised six-sided star button with beading would have been used on women’s clothing.  Black glass buttons were a popular fashion choice in the second half of the nineteenth century after the death of Prince Albert and the Queen’s decision to remain in mourning attire for the rest of her life.  Her sombre clothing choices greatly influencing public fashion.

Artefact ID: JL016587

Many of the glass buttons from Jones Lane were made from black glass. Though black glass was used for many years, as mentioned previously it was a particularly popular colour in the second half of the nineteenth century after the death of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert in 1861.

Artefact ID: JL009645

This silvered black glass button features a metal loop shank. This helps us date the button as the development of press moulding and the production of metal shanks didn’t occur until the 1870s.

Artefact ID: JL009193

This shell hair clip is mounted on a copper alloy fastening.  As with much of the jewellery and decorative accessories in the collection, it was recovered from the post-1854 layers of Residence 4 in Jones Lane. This two-roomed brick house was owned from 1863-1890 by Patrick Kelly, who rented it to a number of different people during this time.

Artefact ID: JL009214

The ‘Willow’ pattern was the most common pattern used on nineteenth and early twentieth century ceramics. It was a standardised European interpretation of Chinese ceramic designs and even inspired poetry.

Two birds flying high,

A Chinese vessel, sailing by.

A bridge with three men, sometimes four,

A willow tree, hanging o'er.

A Chinese temple, there it stands,

Built upon the river sands.

An apple tree, with apples on,

A crooked fence to end my song.

Artefact ID: JL012326

Prosser is a glass-like ceramic material. Patterned prosser buttons tended to be used on women’s clothing. This button is the only calico decorated button in the collection. The manufacture of prosser buttons was a process that was patented in 1840 and involved pressing fine clay into moulds and then firing it at a high temperature to create a glassy appearance. 

Artefact ID: JL009490

Small plain ‘prosser’ buttons were generally used on underwear and shirts as they were cheap to purchase. The first patent for the prosser process was issued in London on 17 June 1840 to Mr. Richard Prosser (Patent No. 8548). Prosser buttons were manufactured well into the mid-nineteenth century.