17th Century Study Day
Well I had the good fortune to go to another study day yesterday, on 17th century clothing mostly, with a nice extra. It was in a town called Maidstone, about an hour's journey towards the English Channel from where I live. There was a bit of a major drama, as the girl who was coming with me missed the train, owing to her train from where she lived getting held up. However, I arrived in time, and sat down to enjoy a great lecture on conserving clothing, with a splendid set of slides, including a shirt of c.1610 (in a private collection - damn it!). There was a doublet of about 1640, and an embroidered jacket of somewhere between 1610 and 1650, gloves, and other odds and ends. Then we had coffee and drifted off to the local museum, where the conservator, and the curator were waiting.
We split into two groups, and the girl I was with caught us up there. Our group were taken through the small costume gallery, and allowed to take photos. Unfortunately some of the clothes didn't photograph well, but some I am pleased with. There was a wonderful 1800 muslin dress, a bonnet and a muslin cap, a child's coat, a gestation corset (!) a sheer mid century check muslin dress with small matching shawl shaped fichu cum pelerine. A red Thomson's crinoline caught my eye as I made a red crinoline for my first one at college. A couple of beautiful 1860's dresses didn't photo well, and the red bustle that I saw came out blank!! However, I am going to try to draw a diagram, so I remember.
Then we went to see the original man's doublet, so densely covered with embroidery, and I could get my nose up on top of it almost, to see where and how it was put together. Too many people and too little time to look at the inside, and it had been re-lined as part of its conservation anyway. Also the lady's bodice, covered with red silk embroidery in a swirly design, incorporating what they call "peascods" but were actually more like a weed called "vetch". Four pairs of wonderful white kid gloves, 3 with embroidery and lace on the cuffs, one with only embroidery. A stumpwork box - (stumpwork is purely English embroidery, between about 1620 and 1640, and found nowhere else, in spite of what you here or see)- with 30 concealed drawers!! and embroidery that looked like painting it was so superb. And finally a length of gold bullion lace, really wide and heavy and bright gold!!
In the afternoon, we heard from Aileen Ribiero, who will have a new book on 17th century clothing out in the autumn, and talked us briefly through the history of clothing of the period. Finally a lady called Heather Toomer gave a fascinating talk on lace and how it was made and developed during the century.
The weather was brilliant, we had a great time, and I am going to another event later in the years when they are displaying clothing from 1800-1830, although I don't know if I will be able to take photos then. I am now exhausted, but am waiting for Keith to leave at 5.00 for 11 days (boo hoo). I think I will be so busy I shan't miss him more than about 50% of the time!!
We split into two groups, and the girl I was with caught us up there. Our group were taken through the small costume gallery, and allowed to take photos. Unfortunately some of the clothes didn't photograph well, but some I am pleased with. There was a wonderful 1800 muslin dress, a bonnet and a muslin cap, a child's coat, a gestation corset (!) a sheer mid century check muslin dress with small matching shawl shaped fichu cum pelerine. A red Thomson's crinoline caught my eye as I made a red crinoline for my first one at college. A couple of beautiful 1860's dresses didn't photo well, and the red bustle that I saw came out blank!! However, I am going to try to draw a diagram, so I remember.
Then we went to see the original man's doublet, so densely covered with embroidery, and I could get my nose up on top of it almost, to see where and how it was put together. Too many people and too little time to look at the inside, and it had been re-lined as part of its conservation anyway. Also the lady's bodice, covered with red silk embroidery in a swirly design, incorporating what they call "peascods" but were actually more like a weed called "vetch". Four pairs of wonderful white kid gloves, 3 with embroidery and lace on the cuffs, one with only embroidery. A stumpwork box - (stumpwork is purely English embroidery, between about 1620 and 1640, and found nowhere else, in spite of what you here or see)- with 30 concealed drawers!! and embroidery that looked like painting it was so superb. And finally a length of gold bullion lace, really wide and heavy and bright gold!!
In the afternoon, we heard from Aileen Ribiero, who will have a new book on 17th century clothing out in the autumn, and talked us briefly through the history of clothing of the period. Finally a lady called Heather Toomer gave a fascinating talk on lace and how it was made and developed during the century.
The weather was brilliant, we had a great time, and I am going to another event later in the years when they are displaying clothing from 1800-1830, although I don't know if I will be able to take photos then. I am now exhausted, but am waiting for Keith to leave at 5.00 for 11 days (boo hoo). I think I will be so busy I shan't miss him more than about 50% of the time!!