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A late Victorian shellwork diorama in the shape of a heart, featuring a chromolithograph of Grace Darling (1815–1842). Grace Darling was an English lighthouse keeper's daughter, who helped her father rescue survivors from the shipwrecked 'Forfarshire' in 1838. Her role in the rescue brought her national fame.
 
In front of the image is an artfully arranged display of shells and seaweed creating a 3D effect to the view. All encased in a hand-blown glass 'heart-shaped' bubble. In overall good condition for its age.
 
These shellwork dioramas were produced in the late Victorian/early Edwardian period as souvenirs of coastal towns and seaside locations, often bought by sailors as presents for their sweethearts.