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Hand & Lock embroidery exhibition

Bethlehem-style jacket from Palestine, 1920s. The design and cut of the jacket are based on those of a British military uniform. Courtesy Textile Research Centre, Leiden (TRC 2004.0120). Bethlehem-style jacket from Palestine, 1920s. The design and cut of the jacket are based on those of a British military uniform. Courtesy Textile Research Centre, Leiden (TRC 2004.0120).

In July 2017 the London-based embroidery firm of Hand & Lock organised the exhibition "250 Years of Embroidery."

It was a small, intense and thought provoking exhibition that included a wide range of embroideries from various collections, including the Hand & Lock archives. There were some amazing examples of gold thread embroidery for military and general use, as well as beaded haute couture dress and jumpers, and letters and designs associated with the famous of the fashion and film world. There is, for example, a series of handbags made by Hand & Lock and designed by people such as Vivienne Westward. The handbags would be auctioned later in the year at Sotheby's with the proceeds going to various charities.

The exibition covered various themes, such as the history of craftsmanship and working with designers. It included items from the following, very diverse sources: the Hand & Lock archives, the Diana Springall Collection, the Bishopgate Institute archives, the Lightfoot archive, as well as the TRC Collection (lotus shoes from China, and the 'Bethlehem jacket' with imitation British military decoration, see illustration). The exhibition accompanied a one-day conference (13th July) about the history of embroidery, past, present and future.

WV, 9 May 2021

Last modified on Sunday, 09 May 2021 17:41