Eleanor Lay facts for kids

Eleanor Lay, often called Mrs Lay, was an amazing businesswoman who lived in Brighton, England, during the late 1700s. She was a publisher and print-seller, which means she ran a shop where people could buy beautiful pictures and art prints. Her shop was in a very popular area called The Steine in Brighton.

Mrs Lay was special because she didn't just sell prints made by others. She also designed and published her own unique pictures! In 1788, she created four special views of Brighton. These were dedicated to a famous lady named Mrs Fitzherbert. You can still see Mrs Lay's original watercolour paintings at the Brighton Museum today.

What Was a Print Shop Like?

Imagine a time before cameras and digital photos! If you wanted a picture of a place, a person, or a funny scene, you would buy a "print." A print was an image made by pressing an inked plate onto paper. Print shops like Mrs Lay's were exciting places. They were like art galleries and bookshops rolled into one. People would visit to see the latest pictures. They might buy prints to decorate their homes or to send as gifts.

Brighton's Popularity in the 1700s

Brighton was a very fashionable town in the 1700s. Many important and wealthy people, including royalty, visited Brighton for holidays. They enjoyed the sea air and the lively atmosphere. This made it a perfect place for a print shop like Mrs Lay's. Her shop on The Steine would have been right in the middle of all the action. It was a great spot to attract customers who wanted to buy art.

Working with Famous Artists

Eleanor Lay was also known for working with talented artists. In 1789, she published two prints by a young artist named Thomas Rowlandson. Rowlandson later became very famous for his funny and detailed drawings, especially his caricatures. Caricatures are drawings that exaggerate someone's features for comic effect.

Rowlandson's Drawing Books

Mrs Lay didn't just publish individual prints by Rowlandson. She also worked with big London publishers, Samuel William Fores and John Harris. Together, they published several prints for a "drawing book" by Rowlandson. A drawing book was a collection of prints that people could use to learn how to draw or just enjoy the artwork. This shows that Mrs Lay was well-connected in the art world. She worked with important artists and other publishers.

A Print's Journey: A Sufferer for Decency

One of the prints Mrs Lay published by Rowlandson was called A Sufferer for Decency. Years later, another publisher named Thomas Tegg bought this print. He reissued it in the 1810s as part of his Caricature Magazine. This shows how popular these prints were. They could be sold and enjoyed for many years, even by different publishers. It also shows how art from one era could be reused and enjoyed in a new way later on.

Eleanor Lay's Legacy

Even though we don't know much about Eleanor Lay's life before or after her active years in Brighton, her work as a publisher and print-seller was important. She helped bring art to people's homes and supported talented artists like Thomas Rowlandson. She was a successful businesswoman in a time when it was less common for women to run their own companies. Her prints give us a glimpse into what life and art were like in Brighton over 200 years ago.

See also

• List of women printers and publishers before 1800