Suffolk Latch c. 1939

Regina Henderer rendered this watercolor drawing of a Suffolk Latch sometime in the 20th century. But why devote artistic skill to the depiction of a simple, everyday object? These images, of which there are many, tell us much about early twentieth-century preoccupations with national and regional identity. In an increasingly industrialised society, these depictions of hand-wrought objects harked back to a pre-industrial golden age of craft production. Such images idealised the rural landscape, and a simpler, more 'authentic' way of life, away from the industrialised city. But such objects and images are also highly gendered. During the early twentieth century the collection and preservation of such items were often driven by women, concerned with preserving a material record of the domestic sphere. To properly understand this artwork, we need to look at the social and institutional histories that underpinned its production and reception. Researching the artist, the place and time in which she lived, and the institutions with which she engaged all help to illuminate the cultural significance of the artwork.