From the vault – Springfield

Faithfull landau carriage

A landau carriage ordered from Brewster & Co Carriage Builders, New York by William Pitt Faithfull for his daughter Florence in 1889, features prominently in photographs of 19th-century Faithfull family events.

The carriage was made in New York and shipped to Australia in 1889. William Pitt Faithfull was a very tall man and he often wore his top hat while driving, so the coach had to be made 2 to 3 inches (5–8 centimetres) higher than the standard carriage.

A final account from Brewster’s reveals that the carriage and harness were purchased for a total cost of US$1,943.20 – a considerable sum in that day.

The carriage was used regularly to attended luncheons, afternoon teas and church during the day, and balls in the evening. The carriage continued to be used in the 20th century and is now a key part of the Museum’s collection.

Conservation during Covid-19

As the Museum closed its doors in response to Covid-19 last year, a major conservation and research project was underway into one of the oldest dresses in the Museum’s collection.

This hand-stitched silk-brocade gown is part of the Springfield–Faithfull Family collection. It was made in the 1700s, most probably in England, and was brought to Australia 100 years later by English schoolteacher Mary Deane when she and her family immigrated to Australia.

Senior Curator Cheryl Crilly, Textile Conservator Michelle Newton-Edwards and Paper and Textile Conservator Kerryn Wagg are conserving the dress and researching its history.

The dress was the focus of the Museum’s 2019 annual appeal. The generosity of the Museum’s donor community enabled the conservation and ongoing research of this wonderful piece of Australian history.

Springfield transformed