Re: [lace] Carbon Dating Lace, by Dr. Laurie Waters

[Anna Binnie]

I've just finished reading the paper. Excellent review on how 
radiocarbon dating works! And the answer, well read the paper.


Thanks Laurie!

Anna from a cold wintery Sydney

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[lace] Carbon Dating Lace, by Dr. Laurie Waters

[Laurie Waters]

Thanks to Jeri for the review of the Carbon 14 dating article. Just one
correction, the sample I sent was not a sliver of thread, but a fairly
substantial piece about 2" square. That was enough for two runs through the
accelerator, and I'm contemplating actually having them do the second run.
That would narrow the uncertainty of the uncalibrated curve somewhat.

If you don't have access to the OIDFA bulletin, write to me and I can send
you a copy of the article.

Laurie

 

___

Laurie Waters

505-412-2873

lswaters...@comcast.net  ,
lacen...@gmail.com  

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[lace] Carbon Dating Lace, by Dr. Laurie Waters

[Jeriames]

Collectors of antique laces are always searching for a lace that is rare  
and tells a story.  Many are ready to rescue laces that have out-lived  their 
usefulness - for the opportunity of expanded knowledge they offer.   It is 
recommended you keep a constructed lace - such as an accessory  or garment - 
whole, even if there is damage.  That will help  future owners to learn 
some critical information about it.  

When you go to a lace convention or congress, the laces for sale in the  
salesroom have already been identified and evaluated to some extent.  You  
have to trust your own lace identification books, your experience, and that  
the vendors are well-informed.
 
However, there is often a question of age.  There are many very  convincing 
laces that are reproductions -especially those  made in the late  19th and 
early 20th centuries that are copies of earlier laces.  Memos  in our 
archives have been telling us about some of these.  What is a  collector to do?
 
Dr. Laurie Waters of Lace News has just invested $600 U.S. to put  a tiny 
thread from one of her laces that is clearly illustrated in Le Pompe,  Volume 
2, 1560, through the process of carbon-14 dating.  The process  and results 
are in a 6-page article in the just-received OIDFA Bulletin -  Number 2 - 
2017 (April/May/June).  If you are not a member of OIDFA, please  make an 
effort to read this article.
 
Our international lace community needs more collecting novices.   Why?  
Because sometimes you ask questions about things those of us who have  been 
collecting for a long time have never considered.  In the future  there will be 
more opportunities to use scientific processes and advanced  methods to 
expand our knowledge.  Scientists will develop  something that is more accurate 
than carbon-14 dating.   How exciting this is to imagine!
 
This is the kind of information to keep in mind when inquisitive people ask 
 questions about old laces whilst you are demonstrating lace making.  If  
there is a young scientist in your family, this is something to share with  
them.  
 
Science may have never been of interest to you.  The point is  - Laurie's 
article has been written very clearly and not over our  heads.  It deserves 
acknowledgements like this memo, and it deserves  attention.  It is something 
you might like to discuss at a lace guild  meeting, or write about in your 
guild newsletter.  A newsletter is  supposed to be about news.  This is 
news.  
 
Please keep this information in your lace detectives file.  Another  
subject in the file would be about X-raying very old garments for hidden  
treasures inside seams and between linings: a new practice yielding interesting 
 
developments, including bits of metal laces that were not harvested by people 
of  more recent generations recapturing gold embellishments - called 
drizzling  or parfilage - for financial gain.  They didn't imagine  there was 
any 
gold deep inside clothing.  We now know differently, and  this helps people 
doing reconstructions.
 
Very slowly - lace detectives are learning more about lace.  Knowing  about 
the beginnings of bobbin and needle laces, how they were made and used, is  
as basic as A B C.  We are at the X Y Z.  A lot has happened that  was not 
documented.  We are challenged to fill in the blanks.
 
If you wish to share this information with your guilds, please write  to 
Lace at Arachne, where Laurie Waters can experience your interest.  She  does 
not know I am writing about her research, and I know very few articles in  
Lace Bulletins are acknowledged by readers.
 
Jeri Ames in Maine USA
Lace and Embroidery Resource Center 

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