The Company of the Butterfly, also known as the Society of the Butterfly, was founded by Whistler in 1896 to circumvent the gallery system and sell his works directly to the public in London. He leased a storefront at 2 Hinde Street, Manchester Square in London from April 1897 until early 1901. Christine Anderson was employed as the manager of the shop. Circumstances surrounding Freer's acquisition of Whistler's watercolor Chelsea Children (which features children looking excitedly in the window of what appears to be a picture gallery) from the company speak to the problems that plagued Whistler as a businessman. Freer had initially mentioned acquiring the small shopfront scene from the Society of the Butterfly in 1899, but the transaction was delayed. Nearly a year later, Freer had to request again that the painting be sent to him. He did not pay Whistler until 1902, suggesting that the operations of Whistler's gallery were problematic.