Craft(ing) Narratives: Specimens, Souvenirs, and “Morsels” in A la Ronde’s Specimen Table

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between souvenir acquisition and the construction of narrative in the interior decoration of A la Ronde in Devon, home to cousins Jane and Mary Parminter between 1796 and 1849. During this period of homosocial cohabitation, the Parminters ornamented the property with a variety of handcrafted objects and spaces, often fabricated from souvenirs, found objects, and pieces from their family collection. While the secondary literature on A la Ronde has emphasised the appropriacy of 'feminine' crafts such as shell-and paperwork for the decoration of a space of this nature, this article goes beyond this focus to reveal how the cousins used material objects to create complex domestic, familial, and touristic narratives. Focusing on a specimen table made around 1790, the article situates its production in relation to the histories of the Parminter family, their residence in Devon, and their extensive Continental tour. Utilising frameworks from contemporary travel writing, it demonstrates how the collection and creation of such objects was indivisible from the construction of narrative.