Brooch, circa 1900
                                     
                                                              
                                           Anne at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York

I am Mrs. Anne Midgley and Gavin has asked me to join him on his web site because of our mutual interest in Ancient Egypt and also its influence on later designs. I have been interested in Ancient Egypt for about fifteen years now and did a Certificate Course at Manchester University, with Dr. Rosalie David, for which I gained a distinction. My dissertation was on "The Influence of Ancient Egypt on the British". I am a member of the Egypt Exploration Society, the Manchester Ancient Egypt Society and the Society for the Study of Ancient Egypt. I have visited Egypt six times, one of my trips was to help on an excavation there. Luxor is my favourite place and the 18th Dynasty my favourite period. I am also very interested in the Ancient Egyptian Influence on our design and look out for pottery, jewellery, material, buildings, etc, which include Egyptian features. I do write short articles for "NILE Offerings", a magazine for NILE (Northern Illustrated Lectures in Egyptology) and the following article on "Egyptomania" was one I did for the April issue.

                                     
                                                                   

TUTANKHAMEN’S INFLUENCE ON THE BRITISH  by Anne Midgley

              We have long been interested in things Egyptian, but in the 18th Century it was more through the influence of Italy that Egyptian style became fashionable for the furnishing of English houses and gardens, such objects as obelisks and sphinxes come to mind. Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign of 1798 changed that and through the consequent publications we saw what Egypt itself was like. The decipherment of the Rosetta stone, Belzoni's exhibition of Egyptian antiquities in 1821, David Robert's paintings from his visit in 1838-9, the opening of the Suez canal in 1869 all fuelled our interest. In the 19th Century paintings, buildings, both private and commercial, bridges, furniture, pottery, clocks, cemeteries, garden features had Egyptian features and the trend continued in the early 20th Century.
            It was the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922 which gave a tremendous stimulus to the interest in Egyptian styling. Tutankhamen’s treasure was of such superb design and quality that its contents became models for future Egyptian designing. The finding and opening of the tomb and the removal of the treasure was of great public interest. The style of Art Deco, much influenced by elements of Egyptian designs, came on to the scene in
1925.  The Hoover building in London of 1931-32 is the most impressive example of an Art Deco factory with an Egyptian centrepiece which is still standing. A surviving cinema is the Carleton at Islington, now a bingo hall, which had a multi-coloured Egyptian design on a white faience background. There were quite a few other Egyptianised cinemas from this period whose features included torcheres resembling slender palm shafts, an organ decorated with a Pharoah's head and a ladies rest room decorated with an Egyptian maiden bathing in a lotus pond.
           Huntley and Palmer biscuit tins of 1924 were shaped like Egyptian vases with Egyptian designs. Singer decorated sewing machines with sphinxes and lotus buds. Armstrong Siddley car manufacturers used a sphinx as the emblem on their radiator caps. Royal Doulton produced an Egyptian series of pottery which included Egyptian figures and bogus hieroglyphs. In 1926 Dunhill made an enamelled lighter and cigarette case with black figures in white robes on a bluey-green background holding red lotus flowers. Even cigarette cards were produced including a set by Cavenders Ltd in 1928 on ''Ancient Egypt".
Tutankhamen influenced the design of everything jewellery, sewing machines, perfume bottles and furniture. Even fashion did not escape and one could buy handbags with hieroglyphics on them and carry a Tutankhamen umbrella.

                                                                   
                   
          The arrival in London of the treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamen in the 1970's again revived the interest in things Egyptian. The British were excited at the chance to see the wonderful treasures produced by craftsmen so long ago. Manufacturers again produced Egyptian objects and clothing, books, trinkets, diaries, etc. were produced in large quantities with Egyptian motifs from Tutankhamen’s tomb.                                                
         The headquarters of the advertising agency, Leagas Delaney, in London features Egyptian motifs and was built soon after the Exhibition. Susie Cooper, designed ‘Ashmun’ which was a pottery design on an Egyptian theme. Wedgwood issued a collection of items including canopic vases, sphinxes, plates and also jewellery. The jewellery featured Tutankhamen and Ankhesenamun. A whole bathroom was designed by Bonsack with the bath sides decorated with lotus flowers and the walls were papyrus swamps and there was a gold statue of Tutankhamen to complete the mood.   
                                    
                            
         Even today our interest continues and the most bizarre influence to date must be the new pyramid teabags launched last year by Brooke Bond P.G. Tips. As part of the promotion there are pyramid tea cards covering pyramid power, the pyramids of Egypt and pyramids around the world (including some British ones.) What Next?

                                                        Anne Midgley, October 1997.
                            

                      This  next section is dedicated to my mother (1921 - 1996), Gavin.

                                  
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                                               Mother and myself, Gavin.
                

               EGYPTIAN INFLUENCE ON WOMEN by Anne Midgley

           The Ancient Egyptians were always interested in personal hygiene and appearance. They used kohl on the eyes for health reasons as well as for beauty. They wore wigs and hair was often plaited and adorned with ornaments and at parties they had perfumed cones on their heads which melted and helped to keep the air scented all evening. They wore jewellery of all kinds in life and also in death when their bodies were covered with amulets to aid their journey into the afterlife. They had containers and bottles to hold their toiletries. After years of excavating in Egypt, we have fine examples of these connecting with their appearance. Below are a few examples of items used by women which have been influenced by the Ancient Egyptians and their wonderful designs.  

SEWING MACHINES   Both Frister & Rossman and Singer produced sewing machines, decorated with sphinxes and lotus buds and Singer also produced one with a lotus flower design. The Singer ones were produced c.1912 and the Frister & Rossman c.1930  
                                                                               
                                                              

MATERIALS  &  CLOTHING  Materials and clothing has continued to be influenced over a long period and materials have been produced at regular intervals with Egyptian motifs both for clothing and for the household.During the 1950s a set of curtains were produced with a multicoloured design very typical of that period. A dress which probably dates from the 1970s is covered with scenes of the 'Weighing of the heart' and I doubt that the lady who wore it knew it was covered with scenes connected with a dead person trying to reach his afterlife!  Zandra Rhodes, the fashion designer, visited Egypt in 1986 and it inspired her to produce the fabrics and designs for her Egyptian collection of 1987 entitled 'Secrets of the Nile'.  In the 1990's Duresta Upholstery Ltd. produced material in two designs and about three colourways. One material was covered in hieroglyphs between bands of Egyptian motifs. In 1996 'Past Times' were selling a cardigan decorated with hieroglyphs, lotus flowers, ankhs and with Anubis pockets.

                                                   

JEWELLERY   There are too many pieces of Egyptian style jewellery to mention in a short article as they include brooches, pendants, necklaces, bracelets earrings, lockets, rings, etc. Motifs were ankhs, scarabs, Egyptian heads, sphinx, mummies, lotuses, etc. Charles Horner designed at least two winged scarab brooches in silver and enamel and also a pendant all c.1900.
Buckles were also produced in Egyptian style, probably in the 1920's after the discovery of Tutankamen's tomb, including a plastic one of a scarab and one decorated with a sphinx.

                                                 

               In 1978 Wedgwood issued an Egyptian collection which included various pieces of jewellery which included four pendants, one decorated with a picture of Ankhesenamen, one with Tutankhamen, one with an obelisk, all three gold on black and an all black obelisk. The pendants of Ankhesenamen and Tutankhamen are taken from his golden throne and Ankhesenamen looks rather strange on the pendant because she is holding liquid flowing into her hand from a vessel held by Tutankhamen but the vessel isn't shown on the pendant !

                                                                    

TOILETRIES   Perfume bottles have been produced in Egyptian style including one from the 1930s. In 1987 Colgate-Palmolive issued a new soap - Cleopatra Beauty Soap, and the wrapper was decorated with an Egyptian Queen. Powder compacts include one from the 1920's with Pharaohs head and a later black square one with gold design of an Egyptian lady filling a tub with water containing another lady bathing and is also decorated with hieroglyphs. A nail polishing stone in a tin was called 'The Egyptien'. A powder bowl with lotus flower design 'Treasures of the Pharaohs' was made exclusively for Elizabeth Arden.

                                                                  
                     Doulton Figure                   Choc Box Lid                 Elizabeth Arden Bowl

Talcum powder tins and bubble bath containers have also been influenced. The above is a very small sample of things ladies can and have used which have been influenced by the Ancient Egyptians.
                                                                                   Anne Midgley, July 1998.

                 
                                                       1920s Art Deco brooch

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