Collection Categories

Sections by Object Type

Jean Shields, Peggy Woodrow, their lives, and their collections

Interpreting their stories from objects

Biography 

The Laidlaw sisters were prolific collectors of Victorian housewares, particularly glassware and ceramics, in the mid-to late 20th century.

Explore their collections to gain a glimpse into the culture of collecting. The Laidlaw sisters’ collections are categorized by object type.

Pick and choose sections that interest you – or click “Biography” to view the exhibit in order.

Ornate glass pedestal bowl with decorative patterns and scalloped edge.

Clear Glass

Goblets and tableware from the United States and Canada.

Solitary and social collecting

Decorative glass object resembling a pink flower with a green leaf base.

Red Glass

Ruby, cranberry, and Mary Gregory glass.

Collecting one colour

Blue and white porcelain plate with intricate landscape design featuring pagodas, trees, a bridge, and flying birds, in the traditional Willow pattern.

Willow

Blue Willow and Gaudy Willow ceramics from 19th century England.

Ceramics collecting and chinoiserie

Decorative ceramic pitcher with floral and abstract design

Gaudy Welsh

Hand-painted ceramics from 1820s-1860s Britain.

Colourful collections

Vintage optometry trial lens set in a wooden case with assorted lenses.

Eyeglasses

Eyewear from the 1800s and early 1900s.

Collaborative and commemoratory collecting

Ceramic figurine of three children under a tree

Staffordshire Figurines

Ceramic figurines from Staffordshire, England, 1837-1901.

Collecting cuteness

Vintage illustration of a riverside town with hills in the background, featuring a prominent church with a tall steeple and surrounded by lush greenery.

Currier & Ives

Lithographic prints from New York, 1835-1907.

Collecting in context

Our Favourite Items

Vintage blue and white ceramic pepper shaker with floral patterns.

Salt Shaker

Salt shaker with Blue Willow pattern and cork stopper. England, c. 1880s.

Red glass dessert dish with a clear stem

Candy Dish

Cranberry candy dishes with clear glass stems and bases, c. 1860s.

White marble bust of a classical female figure wearing draped clothing on a pedestal.

Goddess Diana

Marble bust of the goddess Diana. Italy, c. 1850.