Lace bobbin and skirt lifter

Social History (Museum of St Albans)

Bone lace making bobbin with glass beads and brass skirt lifter. Lace bobbin: Pillow lace was made using a large cushion, with the threads, weighted by bobbins, being worked into patterns around pins. It is thought to have been introduced into England in the 16th century, possibly by Queen Catherine of Aragon. It was a cottage industry, taught to poor children in lace schools and workhouses, and both men and women worked lace. The most important districts were Honiton in Devon and the East Midlands. In the second half of the 19th century machine-made lace could be made more cheaply and handmade lace declined. It is now a popular hobby. Bobbins are usually 3 ½ to 4 inches long, made of wood or bone, with a “spangle” at the end, which was a ring of beads to give the bobbin extra weight and stop it rolling around on the pillow. Skirt Loop: Victorian ladies wore long skirts, but the unpaved streets were often muddy and dirty. This little gadget was attached to a lady’s waist by a thread, and clipped to the hem of her skirt, allowing her to lift her long skirts away from the mud without stooping.

135 transparency

Kate Warren

1) Photo Studio

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