Victorian Figurine of Florence Nightingale and a Wounded Officer

What it is

This is a glazed white porcelain figurine in the Staffordshire style, made in Staffordshire, England, by an unknown maker. It shows a seated man with black curly hair and a moustache, wearing an orange jacket and a grey polka-dot cloak and leaning on a green cushion. Beside him stands a woman in a pink bodice and green-striped skirt with a blue veil. The base reads MISS NIGHTINGALE. It is held by the Wellcome Collection.

Why it matters

Many statues and figurines of Nightingale were made during her career because she was a very popular public figure. Mass-produced pieces like this one were found in many middle-class Victorian homes. The record notes that she was often called the Angel of the Crimea for reforming the hospital at Scutari, although recent research suggests the death rate rose at first and fell only after a British government commission improved ventilation and sewers.

Look closer

• What does the figurine show about how the public wanted to remember Nightingale?
• Why might a middle-class family have bought an object like this?
• What does the figurine leave out about the actual conditions in the hospital?