*Ariane Notes and review of 1889 EMBROIDERY AND L ACE THEIR MANUFACTURE AND HISTORY FROM THE REMOTEST ANTIQUITY TO THE PRESENT DAY. A HANDBOOK FOR AMATEURS, COLLECTORS, AND GENERAL READERS.

When I read this book I was very touched  with the lovely words addressed to the feminine gender until I took notice that E. Lebure stands  for Ernest , a man's first name.

The relevance and intentions of preliminary statements like this below ,

"Our aim, moreover, is not only to give instruction by a record of facts, but, above all , to centre interest upon the rôle which woman's labour plays in the artistic productions of the world. And the temptation presents itself of inquiring whether it is not rather by the needle and the bobbin than by the brush , the graver, or the chisel , etc. , that the influence of woman should assert itself in the arts ."

Hell is full of good intentions, goes the old saying, but so is now a cliché the statement of bloggers and historians " Please note the old views expressed by the authors and artefacts do not reflect the views of our institution."

Not subscribing to the acceptability of both old and contemporary sayings above is more more in line with my values expressed in this blog , but subscribing to the belief that where women are promoted is where we should focus our work, is in line with the values of Ariane Crafts blog and don't contradict the many men's authors and crafters books featured in our book reviews.

Is a way of saying what I wrote about before, that when women are named and featured in the production of something is a victory, because for many centuries women were not referred as the authors, were not mentioned as the producers of commercial items and were not named by name as  the producer.

This book is therefore very valuable and worst reading online, in a local library or at home.  I find of particular importance how this writer when writing about Lace history wrote about national trade, about international trade and fashion, without even knowing the importance these details would have today in 2021 , because his purpose was to talk about lace and yet he provided valuable historical information on the supply chain of embroidery and lace among the most opulent classes and how the demand allowed women financial empowerment, travelling and settings where men lace makers worked alongside women lace makers.

For someone who when growing up was shown in history classes paintings of  women-only lace working groups and no men, this book showed me  a different reality, way more accurate, where men and women alike design and make embroidery and lace throughout different centuries and both are included in relevant transitions of economic and social periods where the expansion of the market and competition with goods from abroad, leads to machinery introduction, even prior to the automated, men handled , human power sourced machinery.

The book is written in a romantic manner, by that I mean that the historic content is enriched and  embellished with compliments, nationalist nuances, heroic versions of events according to his own national identity, 

The plates included in this book are inclusive of other cultures like African Egyptian culture , he places great focus in naming designers commissioned to the elites, he describes in detail ventures, fashions and ways of thinking particular to certain European cultures using as evidence  magazines, journals, old sayings and poetry, gossip and painting of public figures using particular laces according to the period he describes.

The continuity of his historical account of events is linear without gaps , by that I mean that throughout the book he provides primary and secondary sources to base his chronological progression and socio economic account of the production and purpose of embroidery and lace making, never leaving out the agent of production.

The agent of production methods of production are also very relevant in indicating progression and complete transition of historical periods that today many historians and writers seems to ignore and continuously portray the British lace market as a sponger of colonies lace and embroideries, when in fact the embroidery and lace production has been a means to an end for many families in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

This negative image today is also exploited in modern embroidery and lace industries with media channels constantly referring to the lace industry as India and China sweat shops , when in reality the making of lace and embroidery is not alien nor external to the local fashion industries and local crafts groups.

Ignoring design and original character is another trait which I identify in many historians, writers and bloggers which raises the question if people dedicated to 2021 real world can tell the difference between Dorset and Buckinghamshire lace. 

This book I reviewed will not teach anyone the difference between British local lace fashions and modes of production but will give an accurate account of the development and transition from a branch of embroidery to lace and how British and French relations were vital to Europe's economy during peace times and during times when both nations were in opposite sides of deadly wars.

Thank you for reading,

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Best wishes,

Ariane