In 1862, the famous French photographer Camille Silvy captured the portrait of Sarah Forbes Bonetta ( 1843-1880 ) in a series of photographs that are now In the collection of the National Portrait Gallery.
Often referred to as Queen Victoria’s protégé or ward, Sarah led an extraordinary life, one that helped to undermine the imperialist attitudes prevalent in 19th-century Britain. Last year, artist Hannah Uzor ’s portrait of Sarah, inspired by Sylvie’s photographs, was unveiled at Osborne House , the Queen’s former home on the Isle of Wight, bringing Sarah’s story to a wider audience.
Sarah, who was 19 when Silvy photographed her, looked straight into the camera, standing erect. Her typical Victorian dress had a huge wavy skirt and bodice. Next to her stood her husband James Pinson Labulo Davies , a businessman and naval officer born to Yoruba parents who had sought the Queen’s approval of Sarah’s marriage. hand.
A sign of her education
Sarah is holding a book – a sign of her education. On her left hand, the ring was clearly visible as she leaned on the table behind her. The photographs were taken a month after their wedding, a spectacular event in Brighton on 14 August 1862 that attracted large crowds and media attention. Even though it was a month later, in Silvy’s photo, Sarah was still wearing her wedding dress.
Photographed in Silvy’s Porchester Terrace studio shortly after traveling to Sierra Leone as a newlywed couple, these staged photos were probably intended to be distributed to the cartes de visites that Silvy had produced for his wealthy clients. This recently developed technique is based on the idea of taking six to eight small portraits in several different positions and poses on a single glass plate. The nanny then chooses from the results.
The fact that London’s most fashionable portrait photographer, Silvy, took these photos herself is testament to their status in society. This stems from their close ties to the royal family, many of whom. In addition to the Queen, have also been photographed by Silvy. Silvi’s career was prolific but short-lived due to a severe decline in his mental health. He spent the last thirty years of his life confined to a sanatorium, eventually dying in 1910 as an unknown figure. But leaving approx. 17,000 photos.
Sarah’s story
Although Sarah’s story is unusual, historians such as Caroline Bracey argue that her life – from captive girl to the Queen’s accomplished ward – “challenges our understanding of black women in Victorian Britain Assumptions about Status and Their Experiences of Race and Racism.”
Like Bracey, historian David Olusoga points out that Sarah’s privileged position within the British royal family did not prevent her from experiencing racism in Britain, beginning in the mid-1800s with social Darwinism and scientific theories of racism It’s always evolving. According to Olusoga, although Parliament enacted the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 and Sarah was brought to England, both the Queen’s courtiers and her subjects held “deep ambivalence and confusion about race,” Sarah’s time in England was affected and affected. Navy Captain Frederick Forbes went to England on an anti-slavery mission.
Sarah was born “Omoboya Aina” in the area now known as Nigeria and was considered a Yoruba princess. Little is known about her parents, but Forbes claims they were killed during the Okeaton War in 1848, when Sarah was just five years old. She was captured by King Gezo of Dahomey and given to Forbes as a diplomatic “gift” to Queen Victoria.
Upon her arrival in England, she was named “Sarah Forbes Bonetta”, after HMS Bonetta , a ship on which Captain Forbes had sailed . She was presented to the Queen at Windsor Castle in 1850. On November 9, the Queen wrote in her diary: “She is seven years old, very bright, and speaks English.”
King Gezo
The following year, an illustration of King Gezo and Sarah as a child was publish in Forbes’ book Dahomey and Dahomey. A Journal of the Two Missions and Residence of the King of Dahomey and His Capital in 1849 and 1850 . In this widely read publication, Forbes adopted the pseudoscientific terminology of phrenology to describe Sarah. Also examining her intelligence and appearance in detail.
Sarah was educate briefly in Freetown, Sierra Leone, until returning to England in the late 1850s. She living in Brighton under the care of Miss Sophia Wales. After their marriage, Sarah and her husband moved to Sierra Leone. But return to England again in 1867, where their eldest daughter was name after Queen Victoria, who became her godmother. Soon after, Sarah became seriously unwell and eventually contracted tuberculosis, for which there was no cure.
She moved to Madeira, where it was think the warm climate will restore her health. But sadly she died in 1880 at the age of 37. Her daughter enjoyed the protection and support of the Queen. Who provided her with an annuity and paid for her education at Cheltenham Ladies’ College. Later in life, Victoria became friends with the black British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor .
To celebrate Black History Month 2020, Uzor’s portrait of Sarah Forbes Bonetta was install at Osborne House. Queen Victoria’s seaside residence, commissioned by English Heritage. Based on Silvy’s photographs, the painting brings Sarah to life in her white wedding dress, contrasting with the turquoise background. The painting, along with others from the English Heritage programme, forms part of the charity’s aim. To commission portraits of previously overlooked black figures for its historic sites .
Bristol Museum
Recently, Bristol Museum announced that it will display a series of photographs by artist Heather Agyepong. To inspired by the life of Sarah Forbes Bonetta.
Beyond the visual arts, Sarah Forbes Bonetta’s story continues to inspire other forms of culture. Janice Okoh’s play The Gift opens in East Stratford in 2020. This satire explores “how colonialists wielded politeness like a weapon” and shows how well-meaning white people can turn a blind eye to racial issues.
Remembering Sarah’s life helps challenge assumptions about black people in Victorian society (it could even be seen as having a positive influence on Queen Victoria). But it’s important to remember that Sarah endured intense scrutiny during her time in the UK. She was seen by many as the subject of a social experiment, a beneficiary of a “civilizing mission.” Because she died young and had no documentation, her life has been define by others. As Olusoga puts it, “Her own voice was largely silent.”