Re: [h-cost] Standard reference books on embroidery history?
Pretty much everything that Jane said below :). I would add George W. Digby's Elizabethan Embroidery (Faber Faber, 1963) for a good broader perspective on blackwork and embroidery in the latter 16th C. Mamluk is a MUST! I don't have the titles in front of me but I think a couple of books by Kathleen Epstein/Staples touch on this too. Catherine At 01:43 PM 1/05/2008, you wrote: Ages ago I forwarded a question about blackwork to this list on behalf of a colleague. You folks were very helpful, so I'm coming back with an add-on query. My colleague has continued her work and is approaching it from a different angle now, and for background, she needs to bring herself up to speed on what's known about embroidery in late medieval and early modern Western Europe, especially England. She is especially interested in seeing how blackwork fits into that context. She asks for recommendations of good published sources that will give her a sense of what blackwork is and when it was done, based on specific examples (art, documents, and especially surviving artifacts). She needs sources she can cite in a formal paper, so Web sites will not do. Neither will how-to books that include a little historical background (e.g. that something was done in X century) but do not provide sources or evidence. She particularly needs definitions: What specific characteristics lead historians to class the needlework on a 1550 shirt (for example) in the category of blackwork style (as the term is understood), while another example of embroidery that happens to be black would not be considered blackwork? A source that explains the stitches, motifs, patterns, etc. that are routinely associated by historians with the term blackwork would be great. Such a beasty doesn't really exist. There isn't one or even two books that cover all this area. And not many articles either, not academic ones anyway. General History of European Embroidey at this time: Bridgeman, Harriet; and Drury, Elizabeth. (eds). ? ?Needlework, an Illustrated History?, (London: Paddington Press, 1978) - section on Great Briton Schuette, Marie and M?ller-Christensen, Sigrid. ?The Art of Embroidery? (London: Thames and Hudson, 1964) Blackwork History/Techniques Some of the best background about Blackwork comes from a how-to book: Gostelow, Mary. Blackwork. (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1976) Geddes, Elisabeth, and Moyra McNeill. Blackwork Embroidery. (New York: Dover, 1976) I also have a handout which describes what I consider to be the three main types of blackwork during the Elizabethan period with examples and details for find original institutions hold the egs. See Embroidery for Clothing - Non-Counted Blackwork under Class Handouts on http://needleprayse.webcon.net.au/research/index.html (I realize that some people could argue that you can call almost anything monochrome blackwork if you stretch the definition far enough, but she's interested in what's traditionally assumed by the accepted definitions, not ways to revise it.) One thing to remember, most sources are heavily biased towards looking at early period Blackwork ie early Tudor under Henry VIII. You can find alot about that but much less about the later period stuff. Really there aren't any standard definitions of what constitutes blackwork. I am not asking anyone here to answer those questions for her ... even if you did, she'd still need published authorities she can cite in a formal paper. And she really needs to get up to speed on this on her own, and do her own reading. So all I'm bothering you folks for are recommendations for academic-quality reference books. She'll be getting them ILL, so cost and availability are not issues. Bonus points if you can also point her to a good overview source on known embroidery styles from, say, 1300-1600, based on surviving pieces, so she can get a sense of other known styles of this period and compare them with what she learns about blackwork. I think she does not have much of a sense of just how much is known about specific embroidery styles, and how many types of embroidery there were in this period. My website: Historical Needlework Resources - above period broken down by location, date and techniques. Some of the links to extant pieces may be broken as the museums etc keep changing their databases, but it will get her to the correct institution where she can search. The quickest way to find extant examples is by looking in the Period section, which is then broken down by location and technique. No need for anything beyond Europe or outside the 1300-1600 range. In relation to blackwork, I think that would be a mistake - look at the Mamluk embroidery such as the one on my site: http://medieval.webcon.net.au/loc_middle_east_mamluk.html and compare to the 16th C modelbuch patterns used a source by embroiderers in the 16th Century - almost identical. Thanks for all your help! --Robin If she
Re: [h-cost] Standard reference books on embroidery history?
Robin, Does she have German? How about: Mit Nadel und Faden: Kulturgeschichte der klassischen Handarbeiten by Marianne Stradal ISBN-13: 978-3451216084 My German is quite rusty so I'll admit that I bought this for the pictures. It seemed to have many outside the usual survey stuff. Library catalogs say that this has bibliographic references. It might be good for trianglulating definitions. Cheers, Mary Robin sent: She asks for recommendations of good published sources that will give her a sense of what blackwork is and when it was done, based on specific examples (art, documents, and especially surviving artifacts). She needs sources she can cite in a formal paper, so Web sites will not do. Neither will how-to books that include a little historical background (e.g. that something was done in X century) but do not provide sources or evidence. ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Standard reference books on embroidery history?
Quoting Robin Netherton [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Ages ago I forwarded a question about blackwork to this list on behalf of a colleague. You folks were very helpful, so I'm coming back with an add-on query. *snip* Bonus points if you can also point her to a good overview source on known embroidery styles from, say, 1300-1600, based on surviving pieces, so she can get a sense of other known styles of this period and compare them with what she learns about blackwork. I think she does not have much of a sense of just how much is known about specific embroidery styles, and how many types of embroidery there were in this period. The bible is Schuette Christensen's A Pictorial History of Embroidery. It's chock full of pictures of extant pieces. Unfortunately most of the photos are in black and white, but they provide info on each piece -- colors, stitches, ground fabric type, etc. King Levey's The Victoria and Albert Museum's Collection: Embroidery in Britain from 1200-1750. All color pictures. :-D Bridgeman Drury's Needlework An Illustrated History More text than either of the above books -- they're mostly picture books. susan - Susan Farmer [EMAIL PROTECTED] Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Division of Science and Math http://www.goldsword.com/sfarmer/Trillium/ ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Standard reference books on embroidery history?
On Thu, 01 May 2008 08:18:45 -0500 Catherine Kinsey [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Pretty much everything that Jane said below :). I would add George W. Digby's Elizabethan Embroidery (Faber Faber, 1963) for a good broader perspective on blackwork and embroidery in the latter 16th C. Mamluk is a MUST! I don't have the titles in front of me but I think a couple of books by Kathleen Epstein/Staples touch on this too. Catherine It's my understanding that Thomas (?) Trevelon's book is being re-issued, and it is an amazing--if pricey--source. Jane Ashelford's book on Elizabethan dress (sorry, been up 5 minutes and can't remember the title) is a wonderful source for the contexts of embroidery. Arlys Arlys ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Standard reference books on embroidery history?
At 12:19 AM 2/05/2008, you wrote: On Thu, 01 May 2008 08:18:45 -0500 Catherine Kinsey [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Pretty much everything that Jane said below :). I would add George W. Digby's Elizabethan Embroidery (Faber Faber, 1963) for a good broader perspective on blackwork and embroidery in the latter 16th C. Mamluk is a MUST! I don't have the titles in front of me but I think a couple of books by Kathleen Epstein/Staples touch on this too. Catherine It's my understanding that Thomas (?) Trevelon's book is being re-issued, and it is an amazing--if pricey--source. I've looked at the Trevelyon copy I managed to talk my library into buying! It is very, very good. Great blackwork patterns for mens nightcaps, lots of overall patterns that could be adapted for coifs or other large area patterns. So it's a good source for patterns but not really context. Jane Ashelford's book on Elizabethan dress (sorry, been up 5 minutes and can't remember the title) is a wonderful source for the contexts of embroidery. Arlys Arlys Cheers, Jane Jane Stockton - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Barony of Mordenvale, Kingdom of Lochac In Prayse of the Needle - http://needleprayse.webcon.net.au/ (personal website) Historical Needlework Resources - http://medieval.webcon.net.au/ (resource website) The Needles' Excellency - http://laren.blogspot.com/ (blog) ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
[h-cost] Standard reference books on embroidery history?
Ages ago I forwarded a question about blackwork to this list on behalf of a colleague. You folks were very helpful, so I'm coming back with an add-on query. My colleague has continued her work and is approaching it from a different angle now, and for background, she needs to bring herself up to speed on what's known about embroidery in late medieval and early modern Western Europe, especially England. She is especially interested in seeing how blackwork fits into that context. She asks for recommendations of good published sources that will give her a sense of what blackwork is and when it was done, based on specific examples (art, documents, and especially surviving artifacts). She needs sources she can cite in a formal paper, so Web sites will not do. Neither will how-to books that include a little historical background (e.g. that something was done in X century) but do not provide sources or evidence. She particularly needs definitions: What specific characteristics lead historians to class the needlework on a 1550 shirt (for example) in the category of blackwork style (as the term is understood), while another example of embroidery that happens to be black would not be considered blackwork? A source that explains the stitches, motifs, patterns, etc. that are routinely associated by historians with the term blackwork would be great. (I realize that some people could argue that you can call almost anything monochrome blackwork if you stretch the definition far enough, but she's interested in what's traditionally assumed by the accepted definitions, not ways to revise it.) I am not asking anyone here to answer those questions for her ... even if you did, she'd still need published authorities she can cite in a formal paper. And she really needs to get up to speed on this on her own, and do her own reading. So all I'm bothering you folks for are recommendations for academic-quality reference books. She'll be getting them ILL, so cost and availability are not issues. Bonus points if you can also point her to a good overview source on known embroidery styles from, say, 1300-1600, based on surviving pieces, so she can get a sense of other known styles of this period and compare them with what she learns about blackwork. I think she does not have much of a sense of just how much is known about specific embroidery styles, and how many types of embroidery there were in this period. No need for anything beyond Europe or outside the 1300-1600 range. Thanks for all your help! --Robin ___ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
Re: [h-cost] Standard reference books on embroidery history?
At 01:43 PM 1/05/2008, you wrote: Ages ago I forwarded a question about blackwork to this list on behalf of a colleague. You folks were very helpful, so I'm coming back with an add-on query. My colleague has continued her work and is approaching it from a different angle now, and for background, she needs to bring herself up to speed on what's known about embroidery in late medieval and early modern Western Europe, especially England. She is especially interested in seeing how blackwork fits into that context. She asks for recommendations of good published sources that will give her a sense of what blackwork is and when it was done, based on specific examples (art, documents, and especially surviving artifacts). She needs sources she can cite in a formal paper, so Web sites will not do. Neither will how-to books that include a little historical background (e.g. that something was done in X century) but do not provide sources or evidence. She particularly needs definitions: What specific characteristics lead historians to class the needlework on a 1550 shirt (for example) in the category of blackwork style (as the term is understood), while another example of embroidery that happens to be black would not be considered blackwork? A source that explains the stitches, motifs, patterns, etc. that are routinely associated by historians with the term blackwork would be great. Such a beasty doesn't really exist. There isn't one or even two books that cover all this area. And not many articles either, not academic ones anyway. General History of European Embroidey at this time: Bridgeman, Harriet; and Drury, Elizabeth. (eds). Needlework, an Illustrated History, (London: Paddington Press, 1978) - section on Great Briton Schuette, Marie and Müller-Christensen, Sigrid. The Art of Embroidery (London: Thames and Hudson, 1964) Blackwork History/Techniques Some of the best background about Blackwork comes from a how-to book: Gostelow, Mary. Blackwork. (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1976) Geddes, Elisabeth, and Moyra McNeill. Blackwork Embroidery. (New York: Dover, 1976) I also have a handout which describes what I consider to be the three main types of blackwork during the Elizabethan period with examples and details for find original institutions hold the egs. See Embroidery for Clothing - Non-Counted Blackwork under Class Handouts on http://needleprayse.webcon.net.au/research/index.html (I realize that some people could argue that you can call almost anything monochrome blackwork if you stretch the definition far enough, but she's interested in what's traditionally assumed by the accepted definitions, not ways to revise it.) One thing to remember, most sources are heavily biased towards looking at early period Blackwork ie early Tudor under Henry VIII. You can find alot about that but much less about the later period stuff. Really there aren't any standard definitions of what constitutes blackwork. I am not asking anyone here to answer those questions for her ... even if you did, she'd still need published authorities she can cite in a formal paper. And she really needs to get up to speed on this on her own, and do her own reading. So all I'm bothering you folks for are recommendations for academic-quality reference books. She'll be getting them ILL, so cost and availability are not issues. Bonus points if you can also point her to a good overview source on known embroidery styles from, say, 1300-1600, based on surviving pieces, so she can get a sense of other known styles of this period and compare them with what she learns about blackwork. I think she does not have much of a sense of just how much is known about specific embroidery styles, and how many types of embroidery there were in this period. My website: Historical Needlework Resources - above period broken down by location, date and techniques. Some of the links to extant pieces may be broken as the museums etc keep changing their databases, but it will get her to the correct institution where she can search. The quickest way to find extant examples is by looking in the Period section, which is then broken down by location and technique. No need for anything beyond Europe or outside the 1300-1600 range. In relation to blackwork, I think that would be a mistake - look at the Mamluk embroidery such as the one on my site: http://medieval.webcon.net.au/loc_middle_east_mamluk.html and compare to the 16th C modelbuch patterns used a source by embroiderers in the 16th Century - almost identical. Thanks for all your help! --Robin If she has specific questions I can probably chase down specific sources. I'm at work and don't have my books on hand. Cheers, Jane Jane Stockton - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Barony of Mordenvale, Kingdom of Lochac In Prayse of the Needle - http://needleprayse.webcon.net.au/ (personal website) Historical Needlework Resources -
