History of Lace

Fine thread links the workshops of lace makers with the clothing of courts and households in Mrs. Bury Palliser's illustrated history. The contents move from needlework and cut-work to regional traditions in Italy, Flanders, France, England and Ireland. Revised under M. Jourdain and Alice Dryden, this edition includes a glossary and chapters on bobbin net and machine-made lace. Illustrations of patterns, lace pieces and portraits show both the construction of lace and changing ways of wearing it.

The account of English manufacture brings the workers into view through older writings and a petition about the trade. Women and children depend on lace making for their income, while import restrictions become a matter of household survival. These passages give the subject an economic as well as an artistic dimension. Readers interested in textiles, dress or local industries can follow the connections between regional styles, skilled labour and the market for decorative threadwork.