In a message dated 2/2/05 7:48:01 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> I will be visiting Amsterdam in April and would welcome suggestions of > anywhere (best place) where I might see Lace/Lacemaking. If there is more > than one museum which would be best. We will only be there for a few days > and > want to see other things too. > Dear Malvary, Hands down, the Rijksmuseum. I thought it might still be closed during renovation, but when conducting a search, did not find mention of it. (Search "Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam") Firstly, you will probably appreciate the Old Masters paintings which show people in fashionable laces from several historic periods (so you can immediately see the differences). This museum contains what we call dollhouses, only a couple, but delightful. They were used to teach young girls how to oversee a large home, and when they became adults (as I understand it) these women continued to furnish the miniature houses with luxury items. Third, I have read on Arachne that this museum has a large lace collection - I did not know about it, and did not see it in 1998. Perhaps an Arachnean in The Netherlands can help you arrange to view these. Recommend you borrow from a library or InterLibrary loan the Patricia Wardle "75 X Lace", which was published by the Rijksmuseum in 2000, ISBN 90-400-9448-9. This might still be available for purchase in the museum's gift shop - but you will appreciate more if you read it now. In the same block as the Rijksmuseum (in back of it) is a Modern Art Museum and the Van Gogh Museum - so if your friend does not like the antiqueness of the Rijksmuseum, there is an easy alternate option for him. I stayed at a hotel a couple blocks away. It was a first-class Best Western hotel, but it's sub-name was Museum Hotel. (Do a search of "Museum Hotel, Amsterdam" to read about.) A flight of stairs to get up to the lobby from sidewalk - which is often the case in Europe, and something your friend should be prepared for. Problem was that I was given a room in an adjacent building, below ground. Did not feel very safe there alone. However, the neighborhood is very nice - sort of like Madison Avenue in New York, with very fashionable international shops and cafes. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace & Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
