Postcard History

The Picture, circa 187o

Around 1870, an English artist, John Everett Millais, created the painting shown on this postcard. It is unclear if the artist was an eyewitness of the flood, but his image is a curious one. The flood seems to be widespread and unquestionably severe. There are buildings in the background with water well above their foundations. There is a couple in a small boat that we hope are on their way to help their neighbors. The major focus is that of a child in a wooden cradle who is unaware of the destruction taking place around him/her. The child is wide awake and seems to be amused by the raindrops clinging to the tree branch overhead. Along for the ride is a black cat who has claimed a space at the foot of the cradle. The cat is not much more than a kitten who is conscious of the peril, and it appears to howl in fear of its life. The story of A Flood is one that tugs at your heart with bewilderment and curiosity. The nagging question is obvious, “What happened?”

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There are places around the world that write their history from one flood to another. Place names in America that come to mind are New Orleans, Louisiana, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. In England, Sheffield is a city that has a significant history of flooding, most notably the Great Flood of 1864. This devastating event, caused by the collapse of the Dale Dyke Dam, on March 11^th, resulted in widespread damage and the loss of 240 lives. It is ghoulish to report, but bodies were still found three weeks after the dam burst as far as 27 miles away. The event remains the greatest civilian disaster of Victorian Britain yet is relatively unknown outside the city. Beyond that, Sheffield has experienced other floods, including in 1973, 1991, and 2007.

In 1973 a heavy rainfall event caused severe flooding, and in 1991, the River Sheaf reached record levels, leading to extensive flooding. More recent floods in 2007 and 2019 have also impacted the city because Sheffield is where five major rivers converge in a very deep valley just east of the Peak National Park.

Today, A Flood hangs in the Manchester Art Gallery (just 36 miles from Sheffield) and it is always fascinating to hear comments people make as they examine the painting. Some think the smiling baby is amused and that it is a charming picture, but many others tend to focus on the event and find the painting disturbing.

No other postcards of this event have been found, however there are sketches by several newspaper artists.

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Sheffield, England

Sheffield has been a popular area for postcard sales because it is the closest hospitality site for Lake District visitors. As early as 1908 Tuck & Sons added a series of twelve cards to their catalog that were part of the CHARMETTE collection. Cards from the series follow: Town Hall, Fargate Square (a famous meeting place), and the High Street.

John Everett Millais

Millais was born in 1829 to a prominent family. His parents were John William Millais and Emily Mary Evermy. Most of his early childhood was spent in Jersey, to which he retained a strong devotion throughout his life.

His mother’s “forceful personality” was the most powerful influence on his early life. She had a keen interest in art and music, and encouraged her son’s art. She was the force behind relocating the family to London so they could develop contacts at the Royal Academy of Art. John made a point of telling everyone, “I owe everything to my mother.”

Around 1840 John met Dante Gabriel Rossetti with whom he formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in September 1847. He remained devoted to his art until his death in 1896, from throat cancer. He was buried in the crypt at the Cathedral of Saint Paul.