Unknown - portrait of Helen Muriel Forshaw

This charming miniature portrait on ivory is signed, but so far the signature has not been deciphered. It appears to be over a photographic base.

The sitter is Helen Muriel Forshaw (1908-2002), who was generally called by her second name, Muriel and lived for many years in Leamington Spa. Apparently, she never married.

Most usually, the miniature is accompanied by a photograph of Muriel taken in 2000, which was kindly provided by the vendor together with some extra information about Muriel.

Thus the miniature is unique in this collection in having an accompanying portrait, showing the sitter nearly 90 years after the date of the original miniature.




Knowledge of her name has enabled the location of her birth record, which was 16 April 1908 at Richmond, Surrey, England.

In the 1911 census record for Canada she is recorded as living with her parents Thomas Guy Forshaw (22 Apr 1881-?) and Ethel Norah Forshaw (Apr 1876-?) at 1721 Cosmos St, Vancouver, BC. where her father was a company manager and agent, in the automotive industry. The family had arrived in Canada in 1909. At that time Thomas must have have been a pioneer in the industry.

Her death notice read "Forshaw, Helen Muriel dies peacefully in her sleep on Friday 30, August 2002 a the Westminster Nursing Home aged 94 years. Muriel Forshaw requested before her death, that the cremation which will be held at the Oakley Wood Crematorium at 3.15pm on Tuesday 10th September, 2002 be attended by three people only who have been notified directly and that no flowers accompany her body to, or be sent to, the Crematorium."

Although from the image here, it looks a little as if there is a photographic base, I do not think that is the case. In the flesh, it looks more like a painting.

The signature is very indistinct and about the only apparent letters are a double "ll", such as would appear in the name Collins.

The vendor of the miniature befriended Muriel in her old age and she told him a little about her past.

The family had arrived in Canada in 1909, but in 1912 they returned to England and Muriel remembered being told she was emigrating across the Atlantic with her parents at the exact same time as the Titanic sank, but fortunately on a course a few hundred miles further south. 1310




Much later, in 2020 I have received the following kind and interesting email and images from a visitor who lives in Newmarket, ON. Canada:
"Hello Mr. Shelton;
I am quite enchanted by something that has happened to me today. Keep reading, it does connect with your art detective work.
I am a lover of books by an English mid - 20th century author named Elizabeth Goudge. Many of her books are out of print and I tracked down a good condition copy of Three Cities of Bells (about cathedrals in Wells, Oxford and Ely, UK). It has a few light pencil markings where the previous owner checked off which other Goudge books she had read as well as a little piece of yarn she used as a bookmark. Her list almost exactly matches my list of loved Goudge books!
The nameplate is Helen Muriel Forshaw which lead me to your post about the miniature and the photo of her 90 years later. I am delighted to have a visual of the person who obviously loved and treasured this book.
Thanks to you I know that Muriel has Canadian ties as well as England. The book was shipped from England to me in Ontario Canada. I see you are in New Zealand. It just charms me that Helen Muriel and this book represent international connections.
I see that she never had children and that the miniature came to you from a friend late in her life. I guess I just wanted to tell you this happening so Helen Muriel Forshaw still matters.
Thanks for your patience in reading my epistle."
"I attach photos of the book cover, publisher dates, HMF’s nameplate page and the book list with what I think is Muriel’s own handwriting. If it is clear enough you can see she has written in names of 2 books - The Scent of Water and The Heart of the Family. These two are part of a trilogy starting with The Herb of Grace and are the books that introduced me to this writer Elizabeth Goudge (a fascinating woman in her own right)."