This is for our lace members who may volunteer in historic house museums or wish to furnish their personal homes (built before 1870) with antique textiles. Belong to a local historical society? This is a recommended book donation, if they do not have it. Florence M. Montgomery's - Textiles in America 1650-1870 - a dictionary based on original documents, prints and paintings, commercial records, American merchants' papers, shopkeepers' advertisements, and pattern books with original swatches of cloth. Excellent period illustrations and modern photography. A Winterthur Museum book, originally published in 1984, and now available in an updated version. Has a new foreword - by Winterthur's textile curator - Linda Eaton.
Chapters: Furnishing practices in England and America, Bed Hangings, Window Curtains, Upholstery, Textiles for the Period Room in America, Dictionary (about 240 pages), Bibliography. Hardcover, 412 pages (lots of photos), retail price $55. Some forms of lace and related techniques were used to furnish homes of the past. If you are known in your community as a lace expert, you may be asked for assistance (as I was in the 1990's). For that reason, I am recommending this re-issued book. (I have the 1984 edition.) The dictionary provides the - now - unfamiliar textiles of the past and how they were used. This is accurate information when historic background information and/or restorations are necessary. _http://www.winterthurstore.com/product/410721/Textiles-in-America%3A--1650- 1870.html?cid=117_ (http://www.winterthurstore.com/product/410721/Textiles-in-America:--1650-1870.html?cid=117) After looking at this site, please go to the address _www.winterthur.org/_ (http://www.winterthur.org/) for information about this remarkable museum and garden created by the late Henry Francis du Pont - in Delaware (between Philadelphia and Washington DC). It somewhat reminds of National Trust properties in Great Britain, but was purpose-built to enclose rescued rooms and furnishings from the early years of America - 175 rooms, including many that were threatened with demolition in the first half 20th C. Diverse educational programs offered. Touring along the East Coast of America? This is a must-visit all-day experience! --------------- The second recommended research hardback book is by Sophia Frances Anne Caulfeild & Blanche C. Saward - The Dictionary of Needlework. First published in the 1880's, it is my go-to book for looking up definitions of many old terms. This is quite informative about lace and embroidery, for any scholar who does research in our field. A huge reprint of 528 pages was published as a facsimile in 1989 by Blaketon Hall Ltd., Exeter, England, and priced 35 pounds; I paid $28 for a used copy. There was a 1972 Dover reprint in two soft cover volumes re-titled Encyclopedia of Victorian Needlework. Vol. 1 covers A-L, 330 pages; Vol. 2 covers M-Z and continues to page 697, ISBN 0-486-22800-2 and 0-486-22801-0. These came to me as a used set and have been given to another lace researcher. A review was sent to _Lace@Arachne_ (mailto:Lace@Arachne) on 12/29/04, but cannot be found in the Arachne archives! Fortunately, paper copies are made of most out-going mail. But, for how much longer? I am nearing age 80, and if you are a researcher, you may not know yet that there are a lot of educational articles in our Archives you may need in future years. You are invited to set aside some time to see what is filed under my name, because I know I wrote close to 3,000 entries in 20 years, and there are half that number in the archive. This dictionary covering years before 1900 has been indispensable to me when confronted with questions that lace-specific books do not provide. Many out-of-print copies are available from suppliers you will find on the internet. Be aware that the stupendous book by Caulfeild and Saward was originally offered in 6 smaller volumes. I recommend the 1989 edition I use. My current project of going through and re-packing nearly 150 boxes of ephemera, yielded a wonderful New York Times Magazine article about this book by Russell Lynes, dated June 11, 1972, page 56 (which you may be able to find on-line). Caulfeild and Saward dedicated this book to Princess Louise, a daughter of Queen Victoria. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
