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.