Black Mary - of Happy Land Fame - Capital Collections

Category

Library Item

Item no

11297

Title

Black Mary - of Happy Land fame

Description

The poet, Donald Campbell has written a poem inspired by this character by Holt:

Black Mary

Black Mary of the Happy Land*
is often hard, yet always fair.
The tenants under her command
will find no trace of weakness there.

Strong liquor she can never bear
and likewise laudanum is banned.
No bully boys could ever scare
Black Mary of the Happy Land

Her neighbours know her to be kind
with tenderness enough to spare.
And yet the lady of Leith Wynd
is often hard, though always fair.

Kindness aside, she never planned
to shelter those in deep despair.
The tenants of the Happy Land
will find no trace of weakness there.

*A low dive in Leith Wynd, possibly a brothel.

Artist / maker

Holt, Edward P.

Date

1871

Size

13.7 x 10.6 cm

Type

Watercolour

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Edward Holt was an Edinburgh caricaturist and figure painter working in the second half of the nineteenth century. This bound volume contains a large proportion of his surviving work.
There is a little uncertainty over Edward Holt's name. He is sometimes referred to as Edmund and was more commonly known as Ned.

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Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Caps

Clothing and dress > Garments > Blouses

Clothing and dress > Garments > Skirts

People > Adults > Women

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

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