Clay, Thank you so much for your explanations and thoughts on this. I figured as much, but just wanted reassurance. I assumed that most of what Williamsburg and the triangle is all about is the feel of colonial times rather than bonifide living history. Still a glorious experience! The interpreters themselves do know their stuff and reenact as such. It is just the tourist shops that seem to not take care to correctly protray the colonial paraphenalia. If someone was to email me asking about my findings on this subject, can I use your response to forward to them? TIA
BTW.....The bobbin is about the length of an unsharpened pencil. About six inches long. Mark, aka Tatman Www.tat-man.net Www.tat-man.net On 7/16/08 3:33 PM, "Clay Blackwell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Mark - > > I live in Virginia, and my husband and I enjoy visiting Williamsburg as > often as we can. I have had several discussions with various people > there about lace, and the answer was always that they have never found > any evidence of lacemaking in Williamsburg during the time period > depicted... the early colonial years. The evidence they look for is > mention of equipment, pillows, bobbins, etc., in lists of belongings > which were always recorded when the head of a household died. Whether > his wife remained alive or not, when a male head of household died, all > of the items in the home were catalogued. And in the surviving > accounts, there has never been a mention of lacemaking equipment of any > kind. And so, the reenactors do not make lace in Williamsburg. The > other argument is the one you were told... that those who could afford > the luxury of clothing adorned with lace would also want to import the > gown, lace and all, from Europe. It would be a status symbol, far > superior to making your own lace and sewing up that quaint little > knock-off. Of course, the way ladies knew what was in fashion was from > written accounts they received, and from the wonderful dolls which were > sent with detailed models of the latest fashion. Those were not toys > for the little girls - they were meant to show fashionable ladies what > the latest gowns looked like! > > I agree with you that the presence of tatting shuttles in the souvenir > shops is probably misleading. I suspect that even in the shops managed > by Williamsburg/Yorktown/Jamestown, the primary objective is profit, not > education. Another example of how things are misrepresented is the > "Grand Illumination" which is presented each year at Christmas. Candles > are lit in great profusion and fresh greenery in stunning arrangements > adorns everything!! I suspect that in reality, a special candle may > have been lit and a bough of something hung on the door... but > Christmas was not really celebrated on a grand scale in this country > (except in worship) until the mid 19th Century. But... each year, > hundreds flock to Williamsburg for the "Grand Illumination", and the > costs for accommodations/meals/tickets, etc., are all higher than normal. > > The item which you were able to photograph is intriguing. I rather > doubt that it is a bobbin for lacemaking, however. I can't really tell > much about the size of the piece, or particularly the size of the hole > in the pointed end. But it strikes me that this might have been used > for rug making, a punch-needle, specifically. The notches on the other > end may have helped hold the piece we see into a handle of some sort, > which would make the work more comfortable, and possibly would hold the > fiber being used up above the work. Just a guess, but I think more > likely than a lace bobbin. A good point to make is that if there is > only one bobbin, it is relatively useless, but one punch-needle would be > enough to make a rug! If they happen to fine another dozen or so of > these things, then I may be convinced otherwise... > > Good luck with your search!! > > Clay - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
