There was a reference in an archeological book, possibly the one by Mary Beaudry, to a lace pillow found thrown down a privy in the Five Points section of New York. I think it was during the mid 1800's when the area served as one with many saloons and houses of prostitution. In fact, I got the original book about the excavation out of the library in an attempt to learn more about it. It seemed to be the surmise of the scholars that prostitutes did piecework, and pursued needle trades like other immigrants, while waiting for clients and that this may have been the lace pillow of a prostitute. As we know, there was a great deal of prostitution while the west was being settled, particularly in mining towns, so this might be an angle to work while demonstrating in our western states. It was not necessarily the virtuous women, denied equipment more bulky than a tatting shuttle, who were the bobbin lacemakers. Earlier in the day, I spent some fruitless time trying to figure out what political entity the lace making regions of what was later Belgium, such as Antwerp, belonged to during the period when the Dutch were settling Rockland County, NY and Bergen County, NJ during the 1600s. I finally gave up. Possibly it was the Spanish Netherlands. However, I do believe that there was a migration of Protestant craft workers to the Dutch Republic after the invasion by the Duke of Alba in the late 16th century, and the religious persecution that followed it. Tapestry workers, for instance, were very often Protestants. I am not sure whether this adds any clarification as to whether people can demonstrate lace at historical properties in Bergen (first settled in 1633) and Rockland Country with a clear conscience. However, Nicholas Maes, who is considered a Dutch painter and spent much of his life in Amsterdam (1634-1693) painted the picture of "The Lacemaker" which hangs at the Met, so I think you could make the case that the Dutch people who inhabited Rockland and Bergen county may have made lace, even in the absence of any artifacts. Devon
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