Dear Jeri,
Thanks for your impressions of the World Lace Congress.
I will pass your congratulations to all our organisers and helpers all over
the country.
Greet Rome
Brugge 2018 vzw
Van: Jeri Ames [mailto:jeria...@aol.com]
Verzonden: zondag 16 september 2018 21:59
Aan: lace@arachne.com
Onderwerp: World Lace Congress of 2018 in Brugge, Belgium
Here are a few comments about this event. It began by flying to Belgium on
August 14th, and (for me) ended by flying to Hungary on August 26th. Arrived
early, to adjust to time change and travel fatigue before the World Lace
Congress began. This also meant time was set aside for visiting friends.
Roommate and I stayed in a family-owned B, The Verdi, just steps off the
main square in Brugge. One must be able to climb steep winding stairs to a
suite consisting of sitting room, 2 sleeping rooms, bath, and a balcony
facing the street containing 2 small chairs and a table. What more could
traveling women want? Breakfast? Well, let's say it was far above normal in
terms of quality, variety and service.
Early arrival left time for touring the city with my Belgian friend, Annick,
with whom I worked at AT about 35 years ago, and being given a private tour
of the Brugge Beguinage by Sister Madeleine who normally lives in
Massachusetts, but had been living in the Beguinage for 3 years.
On the evening of August 16th, before the World Lace Congress opened in
Brugge, I hosted a dinner in a private dining room at my hotel for 20 members
of Arachne. The list of people who would attend was assembled last March, and
not mentioned again on Arachne. We had the room for the night. Important
lace personalities who correspond on Arachne had a great time meeting each
other in person. There is no doubt that subjects discussed later into the
evening will help lace makers of today and the future. Present were lace
experts from Australia, Canada, England, Germany, and the U.S., plus Greet
Rome of Belgium (organizer of the Lace Congress) and my friend, Annick, who
located me last January by finding a New England Lace Group newsletter article
that was posted to the internet. Annick was helped by NELG's web master to
contact me. Our other special guest was Sister Madeleine. She was preparing
for her next assignment - living in an Ireland Convent and learning to make
Irish laces. She is a long-time member of the New England Lace Group, and I
reached out to her. Everything clicked into place, because networking via
the internet is so fabulous.
2018 marks the 100th anniversary since the end of WWI in 1918, a time when
lace was generally no longer made by hand as a major industry. Belgian women
went to work in factories which manufactured necessary things needed to
rebuild their nation. Also, fashions changed completely at this time, and did
not require the vast quantities of lace used before the war. Since 1918, lace
has been made mostly for pleasure. We spent quite a bit of time focused on
the famous War Laces - masterpieces that were made to commemorate this period
in history. One could describe some of the finest lace elements as "thread
whispers".
The Congress had over 500 registered participants. The Sales Room was vast,
and had many enticing lace-related items offered by vendors from various
European nations. Exhibits were many, and large - I felt like I was swimming
through waves of laces. Informative lectures were presented by prestigious
scholars, and new books were introduced. This was definitely the most
educational of all European Congresses I have attended in the past 20 years.
On the 6-day World Lace Tour of Belgium that followed the 3-day Congress, I
had the pleasure of traveling through Belgium with 86 others. Tour was
conducted in French and English. Sitting in the front of the coach opposite
my roommate Jen McNitt (very active in SCA) and me - at the front of the coach
in pre-assigned seating determined by Greet Rome, the Belgian organizer - were
volunteer Kim Davis of The Lace Museum in Sunnyvale CA and volunteer Karen
Thompson who works with The Smithsonian's Lace Collection in Washington DC.
Across the aisle were Evelyn McMillan, a librarian working with the Herbert
Hoover (WWI) War Lace Collection at Stanford University in CA, and Greet Rome.
(See Evelyn's article on page 26 of OIDFA Bulletin #3, 2018 for more
information about WWI, Famine Relief, and Belgian Lacemakers.)
In the 4 seats behind us were Devon Thein and her husband and Laura Bensley
(Massachusetts member of NELG) and her husband. Devon has been a volunteer
working with the Ratti Center's Lace Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of
Art for many years. Aside from 2018 lace exhibits at The Lace Museum in CA,
she has curated the only long-term lace exhibit scheduled to be open in the
U.S. this year - at the Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton NJ. (Search Hunterdon
Art Museum Lace Exhibition for details.)
Not so sure you will be interested in details of
