Historical marker acknowledging the production of bobbin lace in Ipswich.
Ipswich lace is a historical fashion accessory, the only known American hand-made bobbin lace to be commercially produced. Centered in the coastal town of Ipswich, Massachusetts north of Boston, a community of lacemaking arose in the 18th century. Puritan settlers to the area likely made and wore lace as early as 1634, because Sumptuary laws from the early colonial records indicate this activity. In fact, the earliest known record of the act of lacemaking in the region comes from a court case in 1654 associated with the home of Governor John Endicott. An indentured servant in the household accused the governor's son Zerubbabel with assault, which occurred while she was working at her lace cushion.[1] Earliest known records of the commercial production indicate that lace produced by local women was used to barter for goods in the 1760s, as denoted by ledger account books belonging to local merchants.[2] These laces were sold in the region from Boston to Maine.
Although some references presume that Ipswich lace represents an offshoot of the styles of British laces such as that known today as Bucks point lace, and originated with English immigration,[2][3] other evidence points to continental influence. Bucks point is theorized to have developed from Mechlin, Lille, and other lace styles brought to England with Huguenot refugees. Early Buckinghamshire region lace may be different from the characteristics of this lace in modern understanding. A key observation is that the footside of Ipswich lace sits to the left during production, contrary to English laces typically created with a footside to the right.[4]
Ipswich bobbin lace is similar to European bobbin laces of the 18th century such as Mechlin and Valenciennes, but developed characteristics and patterns of its own over the production period. They were made as borders and insertions to be added to clothing or household items. It is a continuous lace, meaning that the threads continue from the beginning to the end of the pattern, as opposed to non-continuous laces, where the threads that are used for the motifs (dense, decorative parts) are not the same threads as those used to make the fillings and grounds (the open parts connecting the motifs).[5] The motifs in Ipswich lace are mostly surrounded with a thick gimp (outline) thread. Most of the motifs are constructed with the half stitch (Cross-Twist), and the ground of small meshes connecting the motifs consists of either some variation on the Torchon ground or the Kat-stitch, also called Paris ground. A decorative edge of two-threaded picots (loops) are very common. The Point ground (cross, twist, twist, twist) as used in Bucks point and other similar laces were not used as a ground in the Ipswich laces, only as a decorative filling.
History
William Jennys - Portrait of Mrs. Israel Ashley - 2002.97.4 - Rhode Island School of Design Museum
Typically the lace was produced from "prickings" or patterns created on parchment or pasteboard that were attached to a round bolster-style lace pillow. Bobbins whittled from local wood or reeds were used to provide the thread repository and the appropriate tension for constructing the lace. Linen or silk thread was the material commonly used in the early period with cotton employed only later after the development of mercerised cotton improved thread characteristics. Imported and individually handmade pins provided the structural support for the patterns, until pin-making machines became available in the 1840s. Known lace examples are largely white linen or black silk threads.
Preceding and during the American Revolutionary War, the purchase of luxury imported goods was problematic from social, political, and logistical perspectives. Hannah Adams of Medfield, who later became an eminent writer, described making bobbin lace herself during these years. The style or type of lace she made is unknown, but confirms that lace making was underway and profitable during this period in Massachusetts.
During the American revolutionary war, I learned to weave bobbin lace, which was then saleable, and much more profitable to me than spinning, sewing or knitting, which had previously been my employment. At this period I found but little time for literary pursuits. But at the termination of the American war, this resource failed, and I was again left in a destitute situation.[6]
By the 1790s, over 600 women in the Ipswich area were producing significant quantities of lace for sale. Stored in the Library of Congress with the papers of Alexander Hamilton,[7] a report of this activity was submitted to the Secretary of the Treasury with actual samples of Ipswich lace. Reverend Joseph Dana, author of the report, provided:[8]
A Return of Lace and Edging, manufactured in the Town of Ipswich, from August 1789 to August 1790. With the value of the whole, computed from the Bartering-Prices at which the different parcels of each have been sold.
Dana Report of Ipswich Lace Production
Rev. Dana reported 13483 yards of edgings and 28496 yards of lace, for a total of 41979 yards of Ipswich lace made by local women in that time frame.
Section of a shopkeeper's advertisement from Newburyport MA in 1797, highlighting Ipswich lace. Courtesy of the Newburyport Public Library
Lace making continued through the end of the century and into the early 1800s as a hand-made activity, and period advertisements for “American Laces” and “Ipswich Lace” indicate that the lace was available from local merchants,[9] on par with competing European laces. Period paintings in the New England region frequently illustrate black lace shawls with trims that resemble Ipswich laces. However, these garments may have been too fragile to survive the centuries and are difficult to locate in archives. Black lace was subject to decay due to "acidic mordant" that made them fragile.[10]
Extant samples of Ipswich lace on garments can be found in various archives. For example, a mourning cap,[11] silk hood[12] and a cloak[13] featuring Ipswich lace are found in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Martha Washington possessed a shawl[14] made with Ipswich lace which is preserved in the Mount Vernon collection; the lace was reportedly purchased by George Washington on his post-election tour of the young United States.[15] An additional lace segment is also at Mount Vernon.[16] Lace adorning a man's Masonic "Memento mori" apron is also an Ipswich lace.[17] The Museum of Old Newbury at The Cushing House has a boy's garment, called the Eleazer Johnson dress, which appears to have rare blond Ipswich lace collar and cuff trims.[2] A "dressed miniature" of Sarah Hamlin Sage by Mary Way (or her sister Betsy) is adorned with a shawl that appears to be a previously unknown Ipswich lace pattern.[18] The lace has characteristics of typical Ipswich motifs, and represents a non-garment based use of the lace in an art piece which is novel.[19] The Ipswich Historical Society and Ipswich Museum[20] have conserved artifacts of the lace-making activities. Historic New England displays an Ipswich pillow with bobbins and lace in progress on a pricking.
In the 1820s, attempts to mechanize lace production in Ipswich shifted activity away from hand made pillow laces to embroidery on lace bobbinet that was produced by machine.[21] Although some lace makers continued to produce pillow lace, and samples of Ipswich lace were cherished and stored by traditional lace makers like Sarah Lakeman,[22] hand-made lace making was no longer a widespread commercial practice.
In the 1970s, a lace restorer and self-taught lace maker named Michael Auclair[23] replicated the black Ipswich lace samples from the Library of Congress archives. By the 21st century, revived interest in this historical lace was supported by new scholarship and exhibition.[24] In 2001, an exhibit in The Smithsonian National Museum of American History called Within These Walls[25] displayed a historic house relocated from Ipswich[26] and included reproduction Ipswich lace and lacemaking tools. In addition, archived lace samples[27][28] that are stored in the Library of Congress have been re-created by Karen Thompson, and pattern working diagrams have been published that enable lace makers to accurately reproduce this lace today.[29]
Ipswich lace has also appeared in popular culture. A trilogy of fiction books by Brunonia Barry uses Ipswich lace as a plot device, and a major character is a maker of the lace in one of the books, The Lace Reader.[30] In the book, the lace is used as the source of psychic vision activation.
The New England Lace Group has initiated a project to raise the profile of Ipswich lace and the historical lace makers of this region. A mobile exhibit of Ipswich lace history and tools, and reproduction laces, has been developed to educate and inform at local historic sites and craft fairs.[31] Media coverage included discussion of the history of this textile and its cultural significance in the region.[32][33]
Samples of black silk Ipswich lace from Joseph Dana's report
Samples of black silk Ipswich lace from Joseph Dana's report
Ipswich lace pillow with bobbins
Parchment patterns for Ipswich lace, and samples of lace
Ipswich lace samples, made with white thread
Ipswich bobbin lace bobbins whittled from bamboo or wood
The ends of Ipswich bobbins show the hollow stems
Reproduction Ipswich lace made with historical pattern
Related Research Articles
Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is split into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted or crocheted lace. Other laces such as these are considered as a category of their specific craft. Knitted lace, therefore, is an example of knitting. This article considers both needle lace and bobbin lace.
Bobbin lace is a lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pins usually determined by a pattern or pricking pinned on the pillow.
Chantilly lace is a handmade bobbin lace named after the city of Chantilly, France, in a tradition dating from the 17th century. The famous silk laces were introduced in the 18th century. Chantilly lace, was also produced in the 19th century but this one was actually made not in Chantilly area but in the French Norman town Bayeux and in Geraardsbergen, now in Belgium.
Armenian needlelace is a pure form of needle lace made using only a needle, thread and pair of scissors.
Guipure lace is a type of bobbin lace. It connects the motifs with bars or plaits rather than net or mesh.
Tønder lace is a point-ground type of handmade bobbin lace identified with the Tønder region of Denmark since about 1850, although lace of many types has been made there since as early as 1650. The term is also used more broadly, to refer to any bobbin lace made in Denmark.
Alençon lace or point d'Alençon is a needle lace that originated in Alençon, France. It is sometimes called the "Queen of lace." Lace making began in Alençon during the 16th century and the local industry was rapidly expanded during the reign of Louis XIV by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, who established a Royal Workshop in the town to produce lace in the Venetian style in 1665. The purpose of establishing this workshop was to reduce the French court's dependence on expensive foreign imports. Marthe La Perrière had modified the Venetian technique and Alençon emerged as a unique style around 1675 after Colbert's monopoly ended. The lace employs a mesh ground and incorporates pattern motifs with a raised outline of closely packed buttonhole stitches, an outer edge decorated with picots, and open areas with decorative fillings.
Mechlin lace or Point de Malines is an old bobbin lace, one of the best known Flemish laces, originally produced in Mechelen. Worn primarily during summer, it is fine, transparent, and looks best when worn over another color. Used for women's clothing, it was popular until the first decade of the 20th century. It was made in Mechelen, Antwerp, Lier and Turnhout. It was used for coiffures de nuit, garnitures de corset, ruffles and cravats.
Bucks point is a bobbin lace from the South East of England. "Bucks" is short for Buckinghamshire, which was the main centre of production. The lace was also made in the nearby counties of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. Bucks point is very similar to the French Lille lace, and thus is often called English Lille. It is also similar to Mechlin lace and Chantilly lace.
Torchon lace is a bobbin lace that was made all over Europe. It is continuous, with the pattern made at the same time as the ground. Typical basic stitches include whole stitch, half stitch, and twists, and common motifs include spiders and fans. Torchon lace was notable historically for being coarse and strong, as well as consisting of simple geometric patterns and straight lines. It did not use representational designs, for the most part.
Irish lace has always been an important part of the Irish needlework tradition. Both needlepoint and bobbin laces were made in Ireland before the middle of the eighteenth century, but never, apparently, on a commercial scale. It was promoted by Irish aristocrats such as Lady Arabella Denny, the famous philanthropist, who used social and political connections to support the new industry and promote the sale of Irish lace abroad. Lady Denny, working in connection with the Dublin Society, introduced lace-making into the Dublin workhouses, especially among the children there. It is thought that it was an early form of Crochet, imitating the appearance of Venetian Gros Point lace.
Mundillo is a craft of handmade bobbin lace that is cultivated and honored on the island of Puerto Rico and Panama.
Lacemaking in Croatia is a tradition dating back to the Renaissance when lacemaking began spreading throughout the Mediterranean and continental Europe. Throughout the years, Croatian lace has become notable for its unique patterns and designs. In 2009, UNESCO recognised lacemaking in Croatia as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Lace machines took over the commercial manufacture of lace during the nineteenth century.
Maltese lace is a style of bobbin lace made in Malta. It is a guipure style of lace. It is worked as a continuous width on a tall, thin, upright lace pillow. Bigger pieces are made of two or more parts sewn together.
Part lace or sectional lace is a way of making bobbin lace. It characterises various styles, such as Honiton lace or Brussels lace.
Mesh grounded lace is a continuous bobbin lace also known as straight lace. Continuous bobbin lace is made in one piece on a lace pillow. The threads of the ground enter motifs, then leave to join the ground again further down the process, all made in one go. This is different from part lace, where the motifs are created separately, then joined together afterwards.
Bobbin lace ground is the regular small mesh filling the open spaces of continuous bobbin lace. Other names for bobbin lace ground are net or réseau. The precise course of the threads and the resultant shape of the ground are an important diagnostic feature in lace identification, as different lace styles use different grounds.
The Leavers machine is a lacemaking machine that John Levers adapted from Heathcoat's Old Loughborough machine. It was made in Nottingham in 1813. The name of the machine was the Leavers machine. The original machine made net but it was discovered that the Jacquard apparatus could be adapted to it. From 1841 lace complete with pattern, net and outline could be made on the Leavers machine.
Milanese bobbin lace is a textile used as a fashion accessory or a decorative trim, first becoming popular in the 17th and 18th centuries in Milan. Lacemaking was an important economic activity in Northern Italy, besides touching on social status matters as well as being a culturally significant art form. The earliest versions of the lace consisted of the tape mostly filling the space. Typical characteristics of Milanese bobbin lace are scrolls made with curving clothwork tapes and floral motifs, and sometimes also consisting of human or animal figures. Sometimes needle lace techniques were combined with the bobbin lace pieces to create the final product.
↑ Earnshaw, Pat (1984). A Dictionary of Lace (2nded.). Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Bucks, UK: Shire Publications. ISBN9780852637005.
↑ Adams, Hannah (1832). A memoir of Miss Hannah Adams, written by herself. With additional notices, by a friend. Boston: Boston, Gray and Bowen. p.11. hdl:2027/yale.39002004865987.
↑ Pike, Richard (11 July 1797). "Impartial Herald". Newburyport MA. p.4. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
↑ St. Clair, Kassia (2019). The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History (1st Americaned.). New York: Liveright Publishing Corporation. p.142. ISBN978-1-63149-480-2.
↑ Candee, Richard (1999). Benes, Peter (ed.). "Lace Schools and Lace Factories: Female Outwork in New England's Machine-Lace Industry, 1818-1838". Annual proceedings (Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife). Boston University: 100–126. OCLC41178040.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
↑ Vanderpoel, Emily Noyes (1924). American Lace and Lace-Makers. New Haven: Yale University Press.
↑ Raffel, Marta Cotterell (2003). The Laces of Ipswich: The Art and Economics of an Early American Industry, 1750-1840. Hannover: University Press of New England.
↑ "Within These Walls". National Museum of American History. 16 March 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
↑ Thompson, Karen H. (25 May 2017). The Lace Samples from Ipswich, Massachusetts, 1789-1790: History, Patterns, and Working Diagrams for 22 Lace Samples Preserved at the Library of Congress (1sted.). [Washington, DC]. ISBN9780999038505.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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