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William Booth

2 of 39 portraits of William Booth

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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William Booth

by Unknown artist
Staffordshire bust, circa 1900
14 in. x 12 3/8 in. (355 mm x 314 mm) overall
Purchased, 1985
Primary Collection
NPG 5814

Sitterback to top

  • William Booth (1829-1912), Founder of the Salvation Army. Sitter in 39 portraits.

Artistback to top

  • Unknown artist, Artist. Artist or producer associated with 6578 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Pottery busts such as this were displayed in working and middle-class homes in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Such items could indicate their owners' interests, taste and religious and political views. It is part of a long tradition of portrait objects, displayed in ordinary homes or encountered in public spaces, which form an important aspect of everyday visual experience. A portrait of William Booth may also have been a reminder to the owners to do good works.

Linked publicationsback to top

Events of 1900back to top

Current affairs

The Conservatives return to power, after the Prime Minister Lord Salisbury calls a general election, known as the 'Khaki election', on the back of huge jingoistic support for the Boer War.
The Labour Representation Committee (LRC) is founded from a coalition of socialist groups; they win two seats in the 1900 election and Ramsay Macdonald is appointed secretary. The Labour politician Keir Hardie is also returned to Parliament for Merthyr Tydfilin Wales.

Art and science

German physicist Max Planck proposes the concept of the quantum theory. Sigmund Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams is published. In the text, Freud outlines his theory of dream analysis, crucial to the study of the unconscious, and introduces key concepts in psychoanalysis, such as the Ego.
The Paris International Exhibition, attended by more than 50 million people and including over 76,000 exhibitors, marks the heyday of Art Nouveau.

International

In China the Boxer rebellion takes place. The Boxers were anti-imperialist and against foreign influence in trade, religion, politics and technology in the final years of the Manchu rule. The Boxers invade Beijing, killing 230 foreigners and Chinese Christians. The rebellion is suppressed by a multinational coalition of 20,000 troops, with China being forced to pay large war reparations, contributing to growing nationalist resentment against the Qing dynasty.

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