Remarkable women in H&F - The Arts

Opera singer

Elizabeth was a very successful opera singer who performed in Britain, Ireland and across Europe. She studied singing with well-known teachers, and performed in many operas, including in Covent Garden. She produced the first opera by Mozart in Britain, and took part in charity performances to raise money for important charities. Her talent made her rich - at one point her fortune was thought to be about £65 000 (nearly £4 million today). Elizabeth lived in a villa in Fulham but died in Italy in 1818.

Face of an artistic movement

Fanny was born in Jamaica in 1835, soon after slavery was banned there. She moved to London with her mother, and worked as a servant. Later, she became a model for a group of artists known as the Pre- Raphaelite Brotherhood, and her face can be seen in paintings by famous artists such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti and John Everett Millais. Today, these paintings, sketches and drawings are held by art galleries
across the world and Fanny is celebrated as a visible Black woman, rare in nineteenth century Britain.

Fanny was not famous in her day and continued working as a servant in London and beyond. She returned to live with her daughter in Hammersmith, where she died. In 2022 Hammersmith & Fulham Council marked the house with a blue plaque.

Embroiderer

Jane Morris was the wife of the designer, writer and socialist William Morris.

Jane was a talented embroiderer and supervised the embroidery department of Morris & Company from the family home, Kelmscott House in Hammersmith. Jane was also the model and muse of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. She featured in numerous paintings by the artist, her striking looks embodying the Pre-Raphaelite ideal of beauty.

Famous sculptor

Edmonia was the first African American sculptor to gain international fame. On her mother’s side she was descended from Native Americans and her native name was “Wildfire”. Her work focused on both Black and Native American people and their history. She began her career in Boston, USA, but spent most of her life working in Rome. Her enormous sculpture, The Death of Cleopatra, is now part of the Smithsonian museum collection. Later, she moved to Paris and then to London. She lived at 154 Blythe Road and died in Hammersmith Borough Infirmary.

Photographer

Christina Broom taught herself photography as a way of making money to support her family. After moving to Burnfoot Avenue she developed her photos in the basement, and could sometimes print as many as a thousand a night, helped by her daughter. Christina photographed lots of local events and activities, earning her the nickname of Britain’s ‘first female press photographer’. In total, she took around 40,000 images, many of which are held by museums across Britain today, including Hammersmith and Fulham archives.

Mother of the Wounded

Constance moved to Fulham after she got married. A mother of eight, she was distraught when one of her sons was killed in the First World War. Constance and her husband decided to offer their support to soldiers by arranging entertainment in Bishops Park and buying gifts and food for returning troops.

This led to her being given the affectionate nickname, ‘Mother of the Wounded’, which was inscribed on her gravestone after she died in Scotland, aged 61. Today, her dedication to the soldiers is commemorated by a blue plaque in Bishops Park.

Sculptor

Irene was born in Fulham, and became well-known for her pottery and sculptures. She won prizes for her work, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1908.

She had links to Putney School of Art, and used Fulham Pottery to fire her work before she bought her own kiln. Irene originally made female figures in plaster and bronze, then moved into creating portraits and earthenware statues. Her work was collected by museums and galleries across Britain and is still in their collections today.

Beloved jazz singer

Born in New York, Adelaide became one of the best-loved jazz and cabaret singers and tap dancers, and performed with legends such as Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Josephine Baker and Louis Armstrong.
In 1941, she was Britain’s highest paid entertainer.

She was one of the first Black performers to top the bill at the London Palladium, and played to full houses at the Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios and the Hammersmith Palais. She frequently appeared on the BBC as well as recording extensively for Decca Records. In the early 1950s, Hall and her husband Bert opened the Calypso Club in Regent Street.

She lived at Fairholme Road in Fulham from 1980 until her death aged 92 at Charing Cross Hospital.

Journalist and television presenter

Jill Dando was best known for her work for the BBC, which included presenting the News, as well as travel show Holiday, and crime appeal series, Crimewatch. In 1997 she was voted the BBC TV Personality of the Year. Jill was a national treasure and the nation were shock by her unexpected and untimely death in 1999.