For all my buddies out there who are into historical needlework, this is a heck of a treat.
Choice and Precious Work: Treasures from the Schoolroom, 1650-1770, The Needle and Beyond has been my reading companion lately, and I have to say, there are few catalogues of art that have compelled me to keep reading like this one has.
Sometimes, art catalogues hit me as a bit yawny – especially if they tend to be slightly too esoteric, slightly too highfalutin-scholarly to be interesting.
It’s not that I have a problem with scholarliness – I served my time in the world of higher academia – but in general, I’m not a fan of grandiloquent scholarly writing and I like it even less when it’s coming from the broader world of art. Too often, it reminds me of those caricatured pretentious wine tastings that make you want to cry, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, but let’s just get down to the tasting, shall we?”
Get me to the meat of the matter!
This catalogue, though, is different. Blessedly different…
Is it because the topic is needlework? Or because it’s 17th and 18th century, specifically? Or because it’s about the schoolroom and school girls and the education of girls? Is it because the practical knowledge of the contributing writers is so evident, enhancing the authenticity and enthusiasm with which they write? Maybe it’s because the clues, the research, the conclusions all come together like the solving of little mysteries.
Or maybe it is a combination of all of the above.
Yes. I think that’s it.
Couple all of the above with the fact that, within the pages of this beautifully printed book – a very ambitious publishing project – the Average We are treated to sumptuous visuals of needlework history that we will likely never see in person.
So, what is this book?
Collected over a number of years, the schoolgirl work shown in this exhibition catalogue highlights the variety of decorative skills taught during the second half of the seventeenth century and provides contrast to the needle skill with which a modern audience is more familiar… This publication endeavors to describe and catalogue the items on display and place them within their social and educational context.
For a brief month in the autumn of 2024, Witney Antiques (in the UK) hosted a (second) momentous exhibition celebrating the needlework accomplishments of the 17th century school girl. This particular catalogue reflects this second exhibition as “volume 2” – spanning 1650-1770, the Needle and Beyond.
The previous year (2023), they produced a catalogue for the first exhibition in the series, spanning 1650-1750.
So, this catalogue that I’m talking about today is the record of the 2024 exhibition, filled not only with images and the stories of the pieces included in the exhibit, but also with general history of the era, implications for the development of the needle arts (and more), and even practical information on the stitches, techniques, and materials of 17th century needlework.
My purpose today isn’t really to delve into nitty-gritty detail about everything the book encompasses. That would take too long!
Really, I just want to make you aware of the book.
If you are a diehard needlework history fan (ie., if you tend to “nerd out” on needlework history), if you have a genuine and abiding interest in samplers, in schoolgirl embroidery from the earliest times of formal schooling for girls, in 17th century embroidered caskets and the like, or even in the development of needlework techniques and materials, you’ll consider this book a worthy addition to your needlework library.
You’ll learn so much from it! And in the most pleasurable ways, too!
Packed with photos and filled with explanatory texts, research, and fabulous tidbits of history, the catalogue is much more than simply an exhibition catalogue. It’s a “Good Read.” I’ve enjoyed hours poring over the contents, reading the articles and the contextual history.
The mere fact that there’s an embroidered egg – yes, a real egg – from the 17th century (!!!) included in the exhibit and the catalogue makes my little embroidery-nerd-heart palpitate. It also confirms that I’m not entirely nuts for embroidering eggs. And heck – they didn’t even have dremels back then!
Of note, I especially enjoyed Katie Strachan’s study of a single group of 17th century samplers, drawing conclusions and asking fascinating questions; Alison Smith’s exploration of silk-wrapped silver / gilt coiled objects; all the Elizabeth Colleton pieces (especially the magnificent cut-paper workbox); and of course, the general history on this whole era when girls’ schools were beginning to flourish – for both the rich and the poor.
Where to Find It
Here in the US, you’ll find this volume – and Volume 1 from the first exhibition – available through Thistle Threads, here.
It is true that they are not inexpensive books. But they certainly weren’t inexpensive to produce, either. They are high quality books with valuable content that you won’t have access to any other way unless you were able to visit the exhibitions and take part in any programs at the time.
If you are in the UK, you can probably order directly through Witney Antiques. I’ve not tried to do so, but I’m pretty sure you can call them directly.
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