Work experience blog

We recently hosted Amelia, a work experience student, in this post Amelia talks about her time and even highlights her favourite set of objects.

During my time doing work experience, I thoroughly enjoyed researching and cataloguing the many art pieces created by the Haggo family. I enjoyed learning about the two daughters in the family, Christina and Margaret, and analysing their artwork. I also enjoyed researching into their father, Matthew Haggo, and finding out about his history. This was surprising as I had never taken an interest in art before, but not only having their artwork, but also a story behind them, made it all the more interesting. It was enjoyable seeing Christina Haggo’s sketchbooks and all her wonderful and imaginative drawings and to see what girls similar to me, were doing in the 1940’s, whilst learning that they weren’t that different from me. I also enjoyed looking into the local history through the Haggo artwork, specifically Matthew’s drawings of local areas, such as Hitchin and Baldock, and seeing what they would have looked like in the mid-1900s.

Matthew Haggo, painted by his wife Agnes in 1945

Fluff the cat, in Christina Haggo’s sketchbook, dated January 2nd 1946

My favourite items in the collection is the rosette and suffragette pins from 1907-1914. I also like the 1907 silk scarf, worn by Elizabeth Impey who became Secretary of the Hertfordshire Women’s Social and Political Union. I feel that they represent the local women’s involvement in achieving suffrage for women in the UK, despite mass scrutiny from people for believing in their cause, as shown in the postcard sent to Elizabeth Impey in 1907, upon her release from prison. I specifically like the importance of the colours of the scarf and rosette, which represent dignity, purity and hope. The pins and scarf are a surviving reminder of the legacy of the Hertfordshire suffragettes.

The suffragette rosette that belonged to Elizabeth Impey