Harrington, Sarah, Mrs

Gender:

Female

Date and place of birth:

born 13.08.1745, Marylebone, London

Date and place of death:

bur. 15.12.1819, St. Mary Abbots, Kensington. dec. Michaels Place, Brompton Road London.

Worked:

fl. 1774 to 1785

Known places of work:

Extensively across England and Scotland

Known techniques:

Hollow-cut and painted on card, using her own patented machine

Known materials:

Paper, card

Frames:

Oval ebonised wood, oval pressed pewter, oval pressed brass & rectangular leather frames

Signature:

Unrecorded

Introduction:

MRS. SARAH HARRINGTON (1745-1819) was a daughter of Richard Carter, a wealthy London baker, her husband Thomas Harrington, a widowed flour factor.

A pioneer travelling profilist touring towns in England and Scotland between 1774-1785, she also wrote 4 educational works between 1772-1782 and patented her own ‘machine’ to assist her profilist career in 1775. That her husband was listed a ‘Gentleman’ suggests she had no need to work, making her career even more unusual for the period.

It is generally accepted her first advertisements were placed anonymously as ‘a Lady’ in London in early 1774. Her last was recorded in Brighton in September 1785, offering profiles at 2/6 each, which was a consistent charge throughout her career.

Apart from hollow cut profiles, she offered her own works painted on paper, silk, and drawn with crayon (pastels). She also sold wax profiles, seemingly not her own, and prints of her newsworthy sitters. Post 1780, an extremely rare small printed trade label was used.

In 1776 she employed Mrs. John Collins (née Ann Shillard), as ‘pupil and assistant’. Mrs. Collins then acquired a half share of Mrs. Harrington’s patent, promoting her own endeavours as ‘far superior’ to her former tutor’s! Both women worked into the mid-1780s and though no signed profile by Mrs. Collins is recorded, it’s probable that, given the length of their careers, an unquantifiable number of works attributed to Mrs. Harrington, are by her former pupil and rival.

Revised 4 April 2022 (Brian Wellings)