Thu Aug 30, 2018 05:19 PM

Thu Aug 30, 2018 05:19 PM

Mid evening Modelbuch (8/30/2018) I wanted to highlight two more of the incredible researchers responsible for the modern understanding of modelbuch: Gertrude Whiting and Frances Morris. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of the top three collections of modelbucher, and THE best study collection of the pattern books with accessible copies of works they don't own. This is in great part thanks to a partnership between the Met's assistant curator of textiles Frances Morris and a lace expert named Gertrude Whiting starting in 1916. Francis Morris was the first woman employed by the Metropolitan as a curator and had taken charge of the museum's brand new Textile Study Room in 1910. Gertrude had been studying lace for a number of years and since the Met has a well known, popular, and flat out huge collection of lace, Whiting approached Morris about starting a guild. With the help of several other collectors and connoisseurs, they created The Needle and Bobbin Club. By the end of the first year there were 200+ members. About the same time, in 1916, the Met created it's Print Department with William M. Ivins Jr. as curator. He was very interested in cross discipline collecting and asked Morris and Whiting about the acquisition of one of the modelbuch. That started a collaboration between the departments and the club with members of the club donating some of their own collections, helping the museum to collect modelbuch by tracking down and occasionally pay for books, and inspiring a 1938 exhibition that combined the books with examples of textiles. The Needle and Bobbin Club Bulletin is responsible for some of the best published textile research out there, including early lists of modelbuch. It's work is invaluable. I'll talk about Frances Morris a bit more another time, but here are some links to Whiting's work. Gertrude Whiting made an exceptional sampler of bobbin lace with methods for creating the hundreds of different grounds and the origins and histories of the types all explained in an over 400 page _A Lace Guide for Makers and Collectors_ published in 1920. The Met has the sampler. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/227551 https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/collection-insights/2018/gertrude-whiting-bobbin-lace-sampler https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/laceguideformak00whit
Mid evening Modelbuch (8/30/2018) I wanted to highlight two more of the incredible researchers responsible for the modern understanding of modelbuch: Gertrude Whiting and Frances Morris. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of the top three collections of modelbucher, and THE best study collection of the pattern books with accessible copies of works they don’t own. This is in great part thanks to a partnership between the Met’s assistant curator of textiles Frances Morris and a lace expert named Gertrude Whiting starting in 1916. Francis Morris was the first woman employed by the Metropolitan as a curator and had taken charge of the museum’s brand new Textile Study Room in 1910. Gertrude had been studying lace for a number of years and since the Met has a well known, popular, and flat out huge collection of lace, Whiting approached Morris about starting a guild. With the help of several other collectors and connoisseurs, they created The Needle and Bobbin Club. By the end of the first year there were 200+ members. About the same time, in 1916, the Met created it’s Print Department with William M. Ivins Jr. as curator. He was very interested in cross discipline collecting and asked Morris and Whiting about the acquisition of one of the modelbuch. That started a collaboration between the departments and the club with members of the club donating some of their own collections, helping the museum to collect modelbuch by tracking down and occasionally pay for books, and inspiring a 1938 exhibition that combined the books with examples of textiles. The Needle and Bobbin Club Bulletin is responsible for some of the best published textile research out there, including early lists of modelbuch. It’s work is invaluable. I’ll talk about Frances Morris a bit more another time, but here are some links to Whiting’s work. Gertrude Whiting made an exceptional sampler of bobbin lace with methods for creating the hundreds of different grounds and the origins and histories of the types all explained in an over 400 page _A Lace Guide for Makers and Collectors_ published in 1920. The Met has the sampler. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/227551 https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/collection-insights/2018/gertrude-whiting-bobbin-lace-sampler https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/laceguideformak00whit

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