Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 The Wardle Family and its Circle
- 2 The Business of Stitch
- 3 Stitching Narrative: Leek’s Facsimile of the Bayeux Tapestry
- 4 Stitch Meets Stone
- Conclusion: Rediscoveries and Revelations
- Appendix: Where to Find the Work of the Wardle Family
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Further Reading
- Index
Appendix: Where to Find the Work of the Wardle Family
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 June 2021
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 The Wardle Family and its Circle
- 2 The Business of Stitch
- 3 Stitching Narrative: Leek’s Facsimile of the Bayeux Tapestry
- 4 Stitch Meets Stone
- Conclusion: Rediscoveries and Revelations
- Appendix: Where to Find the Work of the Wardle Family
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Further Reading
- Index
Summary
Apart from the ecclesiastical pieces, many of which are still in the churches for which they were made, the work of the Wardle family can be seen in various places beyond Leek, as listed below.
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
The Gallery has original designs by William Morris that were converted into printed fabric by Thomas Wardle in Leek.
Cartwright Hall, Bradford
Cartwright Hall has a large tussar silk hanging commissioned to celebrate Thomas Wardle's achievements. It was designed by Shenaz Ismail and made in Karachi in 2012. Her design contains the book title Silk and Empire woven into the structure.
Department of Economic Botany, Kew Gardens, London
The Department holds skeins of embroidery yarns dyed by Thomas Wardle.
Edinburgh and Glasgow Museums
The Museums have a small selection of items, some donated by Thomas Wardle.
Gawthorpe Hall, Padiham, Lancashire
Gawthorpe Hall has a selection of finished and unfinished embroidered pieces and dyed silk threads from Leek, and a photograph of Mrs Wardle with local embroiderers.
Goldsmiths College, London
There are a few examples of ecclesiastical embroidery in the Constance Howard collection.
Leek Library, Staffordshire
The Library holds a selection of documents and publications related to the Wardle family.
The Museum of London
The Museum has a dress made from a fabric with an Indian-inspired pattern block printed in Leek.
Reading Museum
Leek's facsimile of the Bayeux Tapestry is on permanent display at the Museum. It still intrigues, although the embroidered panels seen today have been through a long and strenuous peripatetic life, which, unsurprisingly, has caused some wear and tear. The various attempts to clean and restore the panels have also taken their toll, which is to be expected. Some colours have faded, probably because they have been constantly exposed to light and have endured numerous washings, which released dyestuffs from the wool threads. Consequently, the facsimile does not look exactly as it did when it was assembled in Leek in 1886. Some recent commentators, aiming to compare it with the original, have relied on photographs in publications or online, as it is impossible to take the Leek facsimile to France to make a true appraisal. Yet photographing textiles is a notoriously tricky business despite the latest camera technology and can give an unsatisfactory result where colour reproduction is concerned.
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- Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2019