Well, I have spent a bit of time looking at the catalogue today. There are soome beautifull bobbins for sale.
The estimated prices are on the high side (IMHO) but the quality of the bobbins are very good indeed. The apparent emphisis on the Joseph Haskins bobbins is very understandable; both from a craft viewpoint and a visual viewpoint, his bobbins have to rank as the best of the historical makers. If you win one of his lots you should feel very excited. The bobbin that is illustrated from a group of stained bobbins in lot 653 is a fascinating bobbin. This is the first time I have seen it in colour. I would love to see it in "real life". Lot 652 and 633 rank pretty highly in my opinion. By now you will all be aware of my opinion that the so called "lace makers lamps" are a generic term that has been given to oil lamps. They are all missing the metal top which contains the wick hole and the air hole. The assumption is that they used the glass oil bowl as the magnifier. You try it with a candle sick holding the candle. You just cant (easily) get the flame close enough to throw the amount of light on to the pillow. It is possible that some may have used the oil lamp as a light source in the later years of the industry, but not as a rule. I think it is in the Aylesbury museum that you see what they were like originally, also I believe in the USA they are sold as tourist items in heritage sites. (with the tin wick holders in them) Enough on my hobby horse!!! At those prices (the groupings keep the lot prices high) I will not be able to bid at a meaningful level but if I was bidding for anything it would be the candle stool. I would love to have one of those. (Hobby horse again! :) :) If any of you are fortunate enough to win any of these lots please let me know privately... I do not want to know how much you paid for them, but I would love to have a good photo of them or a high quality scan. I promise to control all my emotions of envy, jealousy, greed etc etc! Just one other comment. There does not appear (on first glance at least) to be any hanging bobbins! If David and Christine had any, perhaps they are "hanging" on to them!! :) Its nearly midnight... I am off to bed soon. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
