The Sisters Hawthorne & Willow Pattern Plate

Oh how I simply love this piece of willow pattern sheet music. I had this beauty put in a frame and under glass as it is so very fragile. I obviously loved the willow plate on the cover, but the entire bit of music inside is all about the Willow Pattern Plate. I purchased this online from a music museum in Chicago Illinois several years ago and have managed to lose the details of the purchase, but none the less here she is.

This obviously was a portrait taken of the Hawthorne sisters. Under the photo on the cover it indicates Regent Portrait Company 122 Regent Street. From what I have found on these ladies, they were American born but were British Hall singers and performed in London at the Oxford Music Hall.

This was what one of the ads for the performance stated:

The Oxford music hall, London, week beginning Monday, 12 July 1898
‘A highly popular favourite at the Oxford is Miss Lil Hawthorne, a beautiful American girl, one of the Three Sisters Hawthorne, who made such a hit in “The Willow Pattern Plate” last year. “Lil,” while singing her first song, creates a diversion by distributing a number of dolls among the audience.

Inside the front cover was this beautiful Willow pattern story is so cool and points to the facts that the plate got it’s name because the young lovers ran off during a time that the willow began to lose its leaves!

The music inside is all of the willow pattern plate story. I took some time to research when the music was copyrighted and to be very honest, it took me a while. I am not into reading roman numerals.

The music copyright date is 1816!!!!!!

How cool is it that they used so much willow back in the day. I may pull out some other paper items and post them here from time to time! It is fun to see how the willow pattern was used!

Happy Willowing!

Christine