Preserved in Museum London’s material culture collection are the quiet but remarkable legacies of three local makers: Constance Humphrys, Ernest W. Marshall, and Alice Elliott. Working in the late 1800s through the mid-1900s, though their paths never crossed, each found meaningful ways to express their creativity, be it through fashion, engineering, or craft.
For over fifty years, milliner Constance Humphrys designed custom hats for Londoners, believing that a hat was more than an accessory–it was a frame for the soul. Working from her home shop, she built a loyal following crafting elegant, personal designs well into her eighties.
Ernest W. Marshall, a machinist by trade, spent his evenings in a basement workshop, building miniature working models of engines and artillery. His playful, precise, and sometimes explosive creations captured the imagination of all who saw them in action.
Alice Elliott, a graduate of Hellmuth Ladies College, used her training in the arts and crafts to produce delicate china paintings, watercolours, and drawings. Her work reflects the values of a time when artistic skill was seen as a mark of refinement and education.
Together, these three Londoners remind us that creativity takes many forms, and beauty often lives in the everyday.
