Caroline Fox of Falmouth
The Feminist Icon you've never heard of
A fascinating lot in our March 7th Rare Books & Works on Paper auction gives us an opportunity to look into how the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society came into existence and Caroline Fox, the remarkable woman who founded it in 1833.
Founding a home for imagination, invention and collaboration to thrive is a worthy venture. It is one that was not necessarily open to Caroline Fox as one of three children born into a quaker family, but one that she took very seriously and has led to the permanent function of the Falmouth Polytechnic Society (later the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society) since its birth in 1833.
This body of work is vast and contains a great level of insight into the development of the Cornish county in the early 1800s. With essays on bee-keeping, competitions in art and fishing alongside scientific papers on the development of mining equipment including the "man-engine" which was used to carry workers up and down mineshafts. The Falmouth Polytechnic Society was thought to be the first of its kind in the country. Some historians credit Caroline with the invention of the word "polytechnic".
As the daughter of an inventor Caroline did not fit herself into the domesticated role that was expected of women in the early 19th century; rather she took great interest in her father's work and joined him on his various exploits across the county and country. During these travels she met various politicians, writers and artists, all of which she diarised.
Combining her interest in the scientific world along with her strong belief in social justice - born from her Quaker roots - Caroline's Society created an avenue for like-minded individuals to converge and converse in all things inventive and investigative in the Cornish landscape.
"With their father's encouragement [they formed] a society ... 'to promote the useful and fine arts, to encourage industry, and to elicit the ingenuity of a community distinguished for its mechanical skill.' ", The Poly 'Our History'.
There were many barriers to overcome in this aim, both socially and politically. With men dominating the public sphere, women were confined to the private or domestic sphere of life. With the support of Davies Gilbert, an engineer, author and politician, who sat as president of the Falmouth Polytechnic Society when it was given Royal patronage, Caroline was able to shun the societal expectations place upon her and strive to achieve more.
This is a work of huge historical significance concerning the development of science and art, which propagated from the inception of the Falmouth Polytechnic Society and was granted Royal patronage from King William IV in 1835. It is a singular and important work.
At Lay’s Auctions, we view it as a privilege to facilitate the sale of a piece of history.
This extraordinary piece of history, (Caroline Fox and Davies GIlbert) Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society. A granderised collection of the first reports thought to be Caroline Fox's own, will be sold in our Rare Books & Works on Paper auction on the 7th March in Lanner - it can be viewed in person on Saturday 2nd March, 9am to 1pm, Monday 4th - Wednesday 6th March, 9am to 5pm.
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