Hand Stitch Perspectives By Alice Kettle and Jane McKeating Bloomsbury Press 2012 ISBN 978-1-40812-341-6
This is a book of chapters written by 18 contemporary embroidery experts, mostly professors connected to the Manchester School of Art, Manchester England. Here, we find background information about Fanny Palliser and other prominent people of her day in the textile realm of embroidery and lace. In the chapter "But what can the Museum do to Encourage Embroidery? Museums, collectors and embroidery" (pg. 164) the beginnings of the textile collection at the South Kensington Museum (now V&A) are described. In 1873, a special loan exhibition of decorative art needlework made before 1800 was presented, initiated by Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Christian, HRH. the Duchess of Teck; Lady Marion Alford, Vicountess Cust; and Victoria Welby (all involved later in the founding of what is now The Royal School of Needlework). Five catalogues were published as a result of the exhibit; the first catalogue by Mrs. Bury Palliser, and four by Alan Summerly Cole (whom we have written about often on Arachne because of his accounts about the lives of lace makers in England and Ireland). In 1876, 160 Greek embroideries were acquired at the recommendation of Mrs. Palliser, one of the museum's "art referees". It is thought some of these embroideries may have influenced the development of Ruskin (or Greek) lace. Anyone interested in the V&A's Greek embroideries and the collectors who contributed them, may want to read this chapter. It is rich in history. Other leading experts mentioned in this chapter are Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth (Gawthorpe Hall), and Louisa Pesel (Greek embroidery scholar, 1st President of The Embroiderers' Guild in England, and author of several embroidery portfolios), Elsewhere, more is presented about Louisa Pesel (p. 90); Beryl Dean, the foremost 20th C. ecclesiastical embroidery expert (p. 104); and 8 pages about Thérèse de Dillmont (p.138), who married and died one year later. It is said she was replaced by her niece of the same name! So much was vested in the name Thérèse de Dillmont that DMC made every effort to prevent Thérèse (the younger) from marrying! The "Encyclopedia of Needlework", first published in the 1890s, was a promotional tool for the needlework products of Dollfus-Mieg & Cie, Mulhouse, France. Much of the book is about modern hand embroidery/stitching, so you may prefer borrowing it from your local library. 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/
