At the Ferry

Watercolour by Dora L Woolmer entitled At the Ferry depicting a view across the Thames towards Chelsea. 1908

This watercolour from 1908 shows a view across the Thames from Battersea towards Chelsea with Albert Bridge on the right. There is a boat on the river and another on the shore with a horse and cart coming up the slipway. Although the work is entitled At the Ferry, it is not clear whether any ferry is depicted. The old horse ferry had operated at the site of Battersea Bridge, less than 500 yards upstream, but was no longer in use at this time.

The artist is Dora L Woolmer who was the sister of Ethel A Woolmer who also painted watercolours in the museum collection. They lived at 7 Cranbourne Court, Battersea. In the 1901 census, Dora was 46 and Ethel was 37. A note from Dora on the reverse records that the fallen branches on the bank in the foreground "are all that remains of 8 beautiful trees which have been wantonly destroyed."