Dear Lace Scholars, "Unfolding Pictures" 54 - National Progress Fan 1877
A fan design submitted to Queen Victoria by Lady Marianne Alford in 1877. The Fan book text says she "spent much of her childhood in Italy and became an accomplished artist - painting fans, miniatures and illuminations and designing book illustrations, stained glass windows and needlework." Her London home (built to her designs in the early 1870's) was Alford House, Princes Gate. "She was among the founders of the Royal *Society* of Art Needlework in Kensington, publishing 'Needlework as Art' in 1886." If I had to flee my home with just one book, it would probably be "Needlework as Art". Most of the others could be replaced, but I would not like the 1975 reprint of this treasure. Here I have come across a discrepancy. In Lady Alford's dedication to the Queen in her book, she spells her name Marian M. Alford! Marianne? Marian? Another question arises as to where the Fan book authors came up with the word "Society" in the RSN name? For clarification, I went to recent Royal School of Needlework books and booklets that provide history. They all refer to "School", from the beginning, when the original idea was developed by Lady Welby and a Mrs.Dolby to form a School of Art Needlework. These sorts of things are bothersome because I then wonder about all the additional information in a book - on subjects about which I know little or nothing! Queen Victoria's third daughter, Helena - Princess Christian - gave her name as President and Lady Marian Alford agreed to be Vice President, when the School of Art Needlework was formally created in 1872. In 1875, the Queen became its Patron. The word "Royal" was granted in 1876 (not at the beginning) and the word "Art" was dropped in 1922. The first two times I visited the RSN, it was at Princes Gate. I have begun to wonder if the place I visited was originally Alford House! Any collector would be at a loss for words to describe Lady Alford's 422-page book, found in a small town used books store before eBay began to influence prices. It is in near-perfect condition, and kept in a special protective container. Chapter VI deals with Stitches, and Part VII in the chapter is all about LACE: Opus filatorium, Mrs. Palliser, M. Blanc, Guipure, Sir Gardiner Wilkinson, Netted Lace, Homer, Solomon's Temple, Bobbin laces, Yak, Coloured laces, Venetian sumptuary laws, Golden laces, Point d'Alencon, Mr. A. Cole's lectures, M. Urban de Gheltoff on Venice laces, Lace stitches, Revival of lace school at Burano, English laces. (From her description of bobbin lace making, we all would know that Lady Alford never worked at a lace pillow!) As if this were not enough from one book, Appendix III is "The Story of Arachne, abridged by Earl Cowper in 1885 - from Ovid's Metamorphoses". Ahhhhh! So, here we have one book leading to another, with the potential to lead to many others. Lots of possibilities for you to Google. For books, there is Interlibrary Loan. If you have not read my paper explaining Interlibrary Loans, go to: http://[EMAIL PROTECTED] Click on Lacemaking. Type word Interlibrary in the Lacefairy search box. Takes you to a Google selection for my paper. Arachne has been slow lately, so I hope this 3-part series gives it a boost. Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
