*Local history : Bromley high street, Historical figure who once lived in Sydenham and the Scottish ' Scotch Wool and Hosiery' Stores

 

Today I am reviewing the Handbook of Knitting and Crocheting by Scotch Wool and Hosiery Stores, an outlet for  "Greenock" Knitting Wools , over 350 branches owned by Fleming, Reid & Co. Ltd. , The Worsted Mills, Greenock.

When donating this item my choice of recipient will be the Glasgow City Archives . The reason being is that in this page of description of which donated items the institution accepts , is clear that priority will be given to documents relevant to the local history.

Though in the early 1900's Scotch Wool and Hosiery stores had a branch in Bromley high street, I don't see how local history projects would benefit from the possession of this item for display. Even considering that when journalist Flora Klickmann lived in Lower Sydenham she might have visited the stores several times,  the local cultural archives would not find it relevant as the products were not sourced here and Flora eventually moved to the country. 

She is a truly fascinating character in history , whose legacy to the world was not only feminism but the intellectual property consequent of her  tremendous creative capacity and teaching skills.

The fact that  her name is associated with the likes of Oscar Wilde, and yet she was at that difficult time for women full emancipation,. an entrepreneur and editor of magazines published throughout the United Kingdom, the Americas and occasionally the colonies, really is a strong indicative that this relatively obscure historical figure opened the doors for women who came after and made their own paths easier for women who followed.

Last Summer I reviewed a few of her magazines, inclusively one she edited following Oscar Wilde departure of the job, but this year we will be looking carefully at her Home Art Series.

The Scotch Wool and Hosiery Stores did not place any advertisement in the Home Art Series. The main sponsor was Peri Lusta Crochet owned by Jevons & Mellor  ( circa 1846) Wool Shop, Corporation Street, Birmingham and Barbour's Linen Threads owned by Wm., Barbour and Sons, Ltd, Lisburn, Ireland.

The purpose of the Scotch Wool and Hosiery Stores handbooks was to create a need to the consumer by providing patterns for men, children and women , while the purposes of Flora Klickmann Home Art Series was to educate the readers in the art of the needle and to share creative designs for household items.

Flora Klickmann also edited The Stitchery magazine. Though I reviewed a few issues last year I have some more to review this year.

Thanks to a purchase done via the Antique Collectables " Devon Archadia" I now own the first issue of the magazine Stitchery and manage to add two to my portfolio of " Flora Klickmann primary sources" .

As per last year indication by me to my blog readers, the history posts will be marked * in the beginning .  These posts will be for now intercalated with bag books reviews until we get fully in crochet gear.

Stay tuned,

Best wishes,

Ariane