Beschreibung:

Lace samples. A collection of lace samples, ribbon samples, & Berlin work charts, late 19th-early 20th century, 100+ lace samples on 12 card mounts, various widths and styles, a few samples with portion missing, some toning and light foxing, 3 samples on one mount each with annotated printed label 'Idaiyangudi Lace School', sheet size approximately 30.5 x 42 cm (12 x 16.5 ins), together with 250+ French satin ribbon samples mounted on 12 large card sheets, each with pattern, mostly woven, including flowers, stripes, plaid, paisley, foliate, moiré, damask, etc., some adhesive show-through, each sheet with numeral ink stamp to upper margin '1846' or '1849', sheet size approximately 55.5 x 42 cm (21.75 x 16.5 ins), plus 3 hand-coloured charts for Berlin woolwork by Hertz & Wegener, some edge-fraying and marks, one with printed label 'Jancowski's Wholesale & Retail Berlin Repository, 7, Stonegate, York', sheet size 17 x 53 cm (6.75 x 21 ins) and slightly smaller, and a printed Berlin chart from the Journal des Demoiselles (Quantity: 28) The Idaiyangudi Lace School was established by Eliza Caldwell (1822-1899), daughter of missionaries Charles Mault (1791-1858) and his wife Martha (1794-1870) who set sail for India in 1818, just after their marriage. By 1821 Martha, against much opposition from the local people, had started the first of many schools for Indian girls, and this work was carried on by Eliza. From the outset these schools had a lace-making class. Martha had brought the necessary materials and equipment with her from England, having learned the techniques at home in St Neots. Lace-making provided the girls with an income, and for some who were slaves it was the means to buy their freedom, as Martha wrote in a letter dated 1830: " ... not a few of these girls are slaves ...We teach them in preference to others to make lace, and as soon as their earnings amount to more than their support, a portion of their work is reserved for the purchase of their liberty." Eventually lace-making provided employment for thousands of women, and a guide book from the 1930s states: "The lace industry started by the missionaries grew to large proportions and continues to this day, making available most beautiful hand-made lace that will rival any made in the world." (E. G. Hatch, Travancore: A Guide Book for Visitors, OUP, 1933)