 |
OF BOOKS AND ARTICLES THAT DEAL SUBSTANTIALLY WITH THE TOPIC OF LACE MAKING BOBBINS, BOTH ENGLISH AND CONTINENTAL, SPANGLES AND BEADS |
BOBBINS HISTORICAL
CONTINENTAL LACE BOBBINS
SPANGLES AND BEADS
BOBBIN MAKING
| This annotated bibliography
has been collected with a view to aid the study of bobbins in the published
literature. The spangles, beads and lacemaking equipment are secondary
to the bobbin literature but have been annotated as they are an interesting
adjunct to the bobbin and someone might be interested in the books and
articles that I have found.
It has been collected with the help of a number of friends who have good access to the appropriate literature and who have a similar interest in bobbins. My grateful thanks to them for putting me on the trail of a number of publications. Strictly speaking a bibliography is a complete list of all publications dealing with a topic but this list is but a beginning. I am hoping that some readers will be interested enough to inform me of any other sources of which I am unaware, and will be able to fill in the blanks that occur in this list of references. I will happily take on the responsibility to keep the list up to date and offer it for publication in the Lace journals as it progresses. Of the many "hundreds" (?) of lacemaking books there are very few that cover the subject of lace bobbins in any meaningful way. A couple of pages is the most, a couple of paragraphs is par for the course, and for the most part the sparse comments add nothing to the available information on bobbins contained in the main books, booklets pamphlets and articles that are reviewed below. I do suspect that there may be gems of information about bobbins in some of the older lacemaking books. I recall one such instance when I visited an antiquarian bookseller and was scanning a very expensive book on lacemaking. They had gone to a great deal of trouble, going down to their stacks to obtain it for me, and I did indeed find a few paragraphs on bobbins. I desperately tried to remember the information that I read and the title of the book etc., so that I could write it all down when I got to the car. (I was too embarrassed to write it all down in front of the shop owner!) I apologized for not being able to afford the book and forthwith the owner engaged me in deep conversation for some while, which resulted in me leaving the shop having forgotten the book title and author and only a sketch of the contents! I do remember references to waisted bobbins and to "Tin" decoration. (Almost certainly tinsel) Any ideas as to what book it might have been? |
- A Series of 9 Articles. References that are known by me are listed
below. ) It seems a reasonable supposition that articles number 1-4 were
published in 1976.)
Number 2. "Lace Making Bobbins" April/May 1976 A description of the various types of bobbins.
Number 3 "Lace Making Bobbins" (undated) but probably July/August 1976. Inscriptions
Number 4 "Lace Making Bobbins" Love and Romance. (Undated) but probably Oct/Nov. 1976. Love and romantic inscriptions.
Number 5 "Lace Making Bobbins" "Murder most Foul". 5 January 1977 Issue number 5. Hanging inscriptions.
Number 6 "Secret Messages" Issue number 6. 6 April 1977. Cryptic inscriptions.
Number 7 [un-numbered]"Bobbin Care". August 1977. Advice on care of the bobbins.
Number 8. [un-numbered]"Pierced and Hollow bobbins" October 1977 Church Window, baby bobbins etc..
Number 9 "Lace bobbins" Issue number 10. April 1978. Honiton bobbins including some very nice line drawings of decorations.
- There are two chapters that are of special interest to the bobbin historian.
Bobbins and Inscribed Bobbins. There is a brief historical introduction
and a short description on the making of bobbins. Her descriptions of bobbins
are good and quite a large number of bobbin "Types" are described. The
illustrations are black and white photographs and are reasonably good;
they illustrate most types of bobbins found. The inscribed bobbins are
similarly well treated. There are fewer photographs and they are of somewhat
less quality than those in the previous chapter.
This is a very useful reference; it also has a good chapter on lacemaking equipment.
- An article describing the discovery of Flemish lace bobbins in Eye
and the making of Suffolk Lace in that area. Illustrated with a photograph.
- A good article that includes quite good information on the bobbins
together with a couple of photographs featuring the bobbins.
- A fascinating document that catalogues the combined bobbin collection
of Francis Baker, Arthur Knight and Tom Huetson. It is illustrated with
rather small photographs. The accompanying text is quite interesting. The
catalogue uses a very good typology of bobbins.
- An excellent booklet. Its main feature is an attempt to classify bobbins
into classes and it seems to work well. There are three photographic plates,
some of which have the same source as Bullocks book (Luton Museum!)
Both inscribed bobbins and the lace making equipment are well covered.
- A reasonable chapter on Bobbin Lace. Deals with Bobbins and accessories
briefly. It is an excellent history book, but I would not buy it for the
bobbin section alone.
- An excellent booklet on the Lace industry in Salisbury with quite a
good section on the bobbins together with a picture of a good group of
bobbins.
- A book that attempts to cover the topic of lace and lace bobbins in
some detail. I can not comment on the "lace" content but the bobbin content
is well done. It is particularly strong in the area of inscribed bobbins.
- Very nice line drawings of all the major types of bobbins with some
dating.
- Included here, as it is the definitive book on Lace History. It contains
nothing about lace bobbins.
- This is an important history. Criticized my some as being inaccurate
on some things. Deals with bobbins only in footnotes. Brief, but some interesting
information.
- Describes the "square bobbin" (as opposed to the traditional round
bobbin) They have named them the Canadian Bobbin. My comment is that square
bobbins have been around for a long time and the "Canadian" name could
be challenged.
- A description of many lace bobbins and some lace equipment. The book
is not specifically dealing with lace bobbins.
- The pictures of the two bobbins found are excellent.
- This book is at its best when discussing the makers of the bobbins.
As the result of steadfast study, a number of makers have been identified
either by name or by "letter" it also treats the inscribed bobbins well.
Some valuable information on the historical approach to making bobbins.
Not so much as other publications on the general treatment of bobbins.
- Lists the commemorative bobbins available the ’82 exhibition.
- Quite the best book for those interested in the historical aspect of
bobbins. Not strong on illustrations and when they do appear they are poor
photographs, but the text is invaluable as a record of original source
material.
- Certainly the most scholarly text available on the history of the lace
industry. Concentrates on the Honiton industry but covers the whole of
England. He puts forward a contrary theory to the origins of the lace history
in England. Tends to discount the Protestant refugee theory and offers
the "astute English businessman" theory.
- There is an excellent chapter on Honiton bobbins and their decoration.
