Archives for May 2012

Taxidermy

May 8, 2012 by ·

The Evolution of Taxidermy through the Deconstruction of Fixed Gender Norms in the West

Philip Browning, Briana Cornwall, Sarah McIsaac, Jolee Thomsen, Rachel Van Note

An Introduction to the Practice

Taxidermy, the act of preserving and mounting dead animals for the purpose of display, has been practiced by humans for thousands of years—ancient Egyptians notably mummified remains of animals and pets, and even today in Idaho, the sight of the head of large game in a home or public establishment is not uncommon. (1)  Figures 1 and 2 depict an example of what this might look like in a saloon.  This piece was created circa 1942.

Figure 1 Image Courtesy of Idaho Historical Society

Figure 2 Image Courtesy of Idaho Historical Society

Modern reasons for practicing taxidermy vary, from displaying the trophy of a hunt, to representing the places a person has traveled, to preserving oddities, (2) like the two-headed calf in figures 3 and 4–this piece was presented to the Idaho Historical Society by G.L. Benrose and was mounted by E.H. McNichols of Star, ID.

Figure 3 Image Courtesy of Idaho Historical Society

Figure 4 Image Courtesy of Idaho Historical Society

The gender of those who practice taxidermy has similarly changed over time.  Specifically, in the United States, expansion into the West in the 19th century helped fuel the evolution of taxidermy from a traditionally male-dominated field to a source of empowerment and high-skill employment for women.  Westward expansion directly impacted the practice of taxidermy’s ushering in of women, as women in the West had more opportunity to challenge gender roles in their hobbies and occupations as the relatively unstructured frontier provided the physical space and sociological environment for the deconstruction of gender roles.

Although popular culture and textbook history typically only provides us with the names and personas of 1800s male adventurers, historian Karen Jones informs that “the allure of the West and its associations with adventuring, strenuous activity and escapism held appeal for some women as well as men.” (3)  Women, too, had a love for adventure, and “transcendence of the boundaries of conventional female behavior [ . . . ] could be found among many female hunter travelers of the 1800s.” (4)  As hunting is usually the first step toward mounting an animal, men have historically been considered the producers of taxidermy pieces.  But if women did indeed break gender norms typically associated with the western frontier, they were certainly also performers of taxidermy.  Westward expansion “promised adventure, interaction with nature and settler culture, and a route towards independence, belonging and empowerment,” (5) and opened venues for practicing work usually associated with men.  Women today similarly identify with practices typical of male settlers in the West–Figure 5 shows a woman proudly holding her child up to a bear she has preserved and staged.

Figure 5 Image Courtesy of Anne Vinnola and Colorado Institute of Taxidermy Training

Who Performs Taxidermy?

            By the mid-1800’s women were becoming more involved in hunting, particularly in the western states.  Martha Maxwell, a Pennsylvania-born mother and wife, had always taken an interest in collecting and preparing animals killed by the male hunters around her. (6)  As was the case for many women during this time period, moving out west with her husband provided her the opportunity to spend time in the mountains harvesting her own animals.  She, and other women, hunted from the homestead and “transgressed gender codes” (7) not only for daily subsistence, but for pleasure as well.  Taxidermy was Maxwell’s passion and by 1868 she had accumulated 600 specimens–from fowl to large game such as moose–and entered them into the Third Annual Exposition of the Colorado Agricultural Society. (8)  From here she gained notoriety for her artistic talent and became known as one of the first female taxidermists.  Figures 6 and 7 display a moose mounted by Ann Sherwood (circa 1919), a female taxidermist who learned to stage animals from her husband.

Figure 6 Image Courtesy of Idaho Historical Society

Figure 7 Image Courtesy of Idaho Historical Society

Why more information about women in the west performing taxidermy is not easily accessible raises some interesting implications—Maxwell could not have been the only woman transcending the roles assumed to be inherent to them.  This lack of information might be attributed to the overlooking of women who do not fit into the categories provided by society.  Regardless, the West was certainly a less stringent playing field for women in the 19th century, and women have since secured their place as taxidermists.

Within the past decade there has been a significant increase of women becoming actively involved in taxidermy and in many cases becoming professional taxidermists and successfully entering, competing, and redefining the taxidermy profession.  Traditionally male-dominated practices, like hunting, fishing, and taxidermy—which have historically been considered as taboo, rough, and uncharacteristic of women—have been taken up by women. (9)(10)  Today women enjoy these activities, some alongside their male counterparts, and they are surely succeeding.

A contemporary example of women in taxidermy is Anne Vinnola.  Vinnola alongside her husband owns and teaches at the Colorado Institute of Taxidermy Training.  She also owns the Big Timber South Taxidermy Studio located in Canon City, Colorado. (11)  Vinnola’s institute has educated and certified more than one thousand students as professional taxidermists and many of her students are women. (12)

Her and her husband’s business has mounted all different types of game.  Everything from waterfowl, fish, birds, small, and large game, Vinnola has expertly staged in her studio. (13)   Her credentials are extensive.  In addition to her taxidermy success she publishes a daily blog called “Team Huntress: Empowering Women Outdoors,” she is a member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association, life member of Safari Club International, National Rifle Association, sponsor of the Friends of NRA, National Shooting Sports Foundation, and Woman’s Outdoor Media Association. (14)

Vinnola has created her own success with her taxidermy business and school.   Other women have become actively competitive with their taxidermy by entering examples of their work in judged competition. (15)  An example of a successful competitive woman taxidermist is Alicia Love. (16)

Love is a professional taxidermist.  She competes in large events and has won several including the Best of Show at the National Wild Turkey Federation’s “Grand National Wild Turkey and White-Tailed Deer Taxidermy Competition” in South Carolina.  Her entry in the wild turkey category stunned the judges and earned her top marks along with a nice cash prize. (17)  Love’s craftsmanship is just one example that many individual women create.

Today, women’s attention to detail is providing an excellent competitive advantage.  Fish and bird specimens require more attention to detail than other game specimens.  Women such as Anne Vinnola and Alicia Love are helping to solidify women’s place in the taxidermy profession.   The taboo is fading from taxidermy’s gendered tradition and women are providing valuable educational opportunities for other women and exemplifying themselves as professional taxidermists.

How Does One Perform Taxidermy?

Just as any traditional form of art does, taxidermy has very specific parameters for what is considered “good” or “bad” work. According to Charles Waterton in “On Preserving Birds for Cabinets of Natural History,” “any common clown can stuff a bird.” (18)  He mentions that all too often animals are over-stretched, over-stuffed, stiffened, wired, dyed and distorted, destroying their natural elegance and beauty. (19)  Taking a close look at the yellow-bellied marmot donated by Charles R. Conner, Vertebrate Museum at Washington State University, in figures 9 and 10, one can see how, if improperly structured and staged, a preserved animal can appear awkward, forced, and stiff. Furthermore, its skin is visible through the fur and wrinkles in a way that would not appear in life.

Figure 9 Image Courtesy of Idaho Historical Society exhibit

Figure 10 Image Courtesy of Idaho Historical Society exhibit

To avoid this takes a sensitive touch and a delicate hand, as well as an understanding of each animal’s anatomy, attitudes, expressions, and environment.  This feminine creativity is featured in figures 11 and 12, in which a mountain goat appears to be walking across boulders as it might have during its life.  When staged in a landscape comparable to its natural habitat, a taxidermy piece can illicit a more organic state and effect for viewers.  This specimen is courtesy of Pat Silvers, owner, and Bob Ulshafer, Sundance taxidermy specialist.

Figure 11 Image Courtesy of Idaho Historical Society exhibit

Figure 12 Image Courtesy of Idaho Historical Society exhibit

Such a connection with nature is only the result of time and experience, putting the expert taxidermist on par with any great artist. Men and women alike offer uniquely special gifts to this field because it takes much more than the brute strength of a hunter to master it.

In fact, as opposed to brute strength, the process of preparing taxidermy pieces requires a keen eye for detail and a great deal of patience, aspects generally attributed to women. The following is an example of the process of taxidermy found in the Ladies’ Manual of Art written in 1890. The manual provides instructions for preserving animals, from monkeys to birds to reptiles and more. The following are historically accurate basic instructions that a woman during this time would have used to preserve a quadruped.

After the animals have been collected, the first step of taxidermy was to take comprehensive measurements of the specimen’s body. (20) Before starting the skinning process, one would plug the holes of the eyes, nose, and mouth to avoid staining the skin or fur with blood. (21) Next, using a knife one made an incision down the stomach of the animal and continued to carefully cut the skin from away from the muscle. (22) After the skin was removed from the torso, the head was detached from the body and its brain and eyes were taken out. (23) Once the skin had been taken off, the muscle and tendons were cut away from the bone. (24) After the bones had been thoroughly cleaned, one covered them and the skin with arsenical soap to preserve it. (25) The next step was to wrap the bones with tow or cotton, representing the natural shape of the muscle. (26) The skin was now pulled back over the bone and cotton. (27)

After pulling the skin back over the bone and cotton, the taxidermist would look over the skin to find any stains that must be removed using turpentine, careful to brush the fur or feathers in their natural direction. (28) Wire was then used to support the structure of the animal. (29) The wires were cut to reflect the measurements that were collected before the start of the skinning process. (30) The wire was inserted through the skin and attached to the bones. (31) Silver could be shaped to recreate larger muscles. (32) The body was then stuffed with chopped flax. (33) Next, the skin was sewn back together at the belly of the animal. (34) The face of the animal was then stuffed going through the opening of the eyes. (35) The eyes were then put back in and the mouth positioned. (36) The last step was to mount the animal and position it in the fashion desired by the taxidermist. (37)

Conclusion

As evidenced by the success of Maxwell, Vinnola, and Love, women as well as men have a knack for fixing the skin of animals over bones and other artificial surfaces to bring hunted game back to life.  These women, and others, “have found the space afforded by the West [ . . . ] to expand into spheres considered the domain of men” (38), confronting gender norms by taking up practices generally associated with maleness and western masculinity.

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Footnotes:

1.”How Taxidermy Got Its Start,” Taxidermy Hobbyist: The Art of Taxidermy, accessed March 20, 2012, http://taxidermyhobbyist.com/history-of-taxidermy-got-its-start.html.

2. “How Taxidermy Got Its Start,” Taxidermy Hobbyist: The Art of Taxidermy, accessed March 20, 2012, http://taxidermyhobbyist.com/history-of-taxidermy-got-its-start.html.

3. Karen Jones, “Lady Wildcats and Wild Women: Hunting, Gender and the Politics of Show(wo)manship in the Nineteenth Century American West,” Nineteenth-Century Contexts: An Interdisciplinary Journal 34, no. 1
(2012), 37.

4. Jones, “Lady Wildcats and Wild Women,” 40.

5. Jones, “Lady Wildcats and Wild Women,”46.

6. “Did She Kill ‘Em All?: Martha Maxwell, Colorado Huntress,” National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, accessed April 14, 2012, http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/research/cms/Exhibits DidSheKillEmAll/tabid/129/Default.aspx.

7. Jones, “Lady Wildcats and Wild Women,” 44.

8. “Did She Kill ‘Em All?”

9. “Women Hunters,” Women Hunters: For Women, About Women, By Women, accessed April 15 2012, http://www.womenhunters.com/.

10. Jane Keller and Dave Olsen, “Team Huntress: Empowering Women Outdo0rs,” Team Huntress, accessed April 15 2012,  http://teamhuntress.info.

11. “How often have you said to yourself “I want to learn how to do taxidermy?”” Colorado Institute of Taxidermy Training, accessed April 15, 2012, http://www.coloradotaxidermyschool.com/.

12. Jane Keller and Dave Olsen, “Anne Vinnola,” Team Huntress, accessed April 15, 2012, http://teamhuntress.info/about/anne-vinnola/.

13. Jane Keller and Dave Olsen, “Anne Vinnola,”   Team Huntress,  accessed April 15, 2012, http://teamhuntress.info/about/anne-vinnola/.

14. Jane Keller and Dave Olsen, “Anne Vinnola,”   Team Huntress,  accessed April 15, 2012, http://teamhuntress.info/about/anne-vinnola/.

15. “Taxidermist Alicia Love wins ‘Best of Show’ at NWTF,” Women’s Outdoor News, accessed April 15, 2012, http://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2010/02/taxidermist-alicia-love-wins-best-of-show-at-nwtf/.

16. “Taxidermist Alicia Love wins ‘Best of Show’ at NWTF,” Women’s Outdoor News, accessed April 15, 2012, http://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2010/02/taxidermist-alicia-love-wins-best-of-show-at-nwtf/.

17. “Taxidermist Alicia Love wins ‘Best of Show’ at NWTF,” Women’s Outdoor News, accessed April 15, 2012, http://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2010/02/taxidermist-alicia-love-wins-best-of-show-at-nwtf/.

18. Charles Waterton, “On Preserving Birds for Cabinets of Natural History,” in Wanderings of South America, the North-West of the United States, and the Antilles, in the years 1812, 1816, 1820 & 1824 (London: Fellowes, 1879), 321, accessed April 4, 2012, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015005073682.

19. Waterton, “On Preserving Birds,” 321.

20. M.A. Donohue, “Taxidermy: Skinning, Preparing, and Mounting the Mammilia or Quadrupeds,” in Ladies’ Manual of Art: Or Profits and Pastime. A Self Teacher in all Branches of Decorative Art, Embracing Every Variety of Painting and Drawing on China, Glass, Velvet, Canvas, and Wood. The Secret of all Glass Transparencies, Sketching from Nature, Pastel Crayon Drawing, Taxidermy, etc. (Chicago: Donohue, Henneberry, & Co., 1890), 205, accessed March 20, 2012, http://www.archive.org/stream/ladiesmanualart00chicgoog#page/n6/mode/2up.

21. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 203.

22. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 203.

23. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 204.

24. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 204.

25. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 204.

26. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 204.

27. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 204.

28. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 204.

29. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 205.

30. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 205.

31. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 206.

32. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 208

33. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 209.

34. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 209.

35. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 210.

36. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 210.

37. Donohue, “Taxidermy,” 210.

38. Jones, “Lady Wildcats and Wild Women,” 47.

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Bibliography

 “Did She Kill ‘Em All?: Martha Maxwell, Colorado Huntress.”  National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.   Accessed April 14, 2012. http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/research/cms/ExhibitsDidSheKillEmAll/tabid/129/Default.aspx.

Donohue, M. A.. “Taxidermy: Skinning, Preparing, and Mounting the Mammilia or Quadruped.”  In Ladies’ Manual of Art: Or Profits and Pastime. A Self Teacher in all Branches of Decorative Art, Embracing Every Variety of Painting and Drawing on China, Glass, Velvet, Canvas, and Wood. The Secret of all Glass Transparencies, Sketching from Nature, Pastel Crayon Drawing, Taxidermy, etc., 203-211.  Chicago: Donohue, Henneberry, & Co., 1890.  Accessed March 20, 2012, http://www.archive.org/stream/ladiesmanualart00chicgoog#page/n6/mode/2up.

“How often have you said to yourself “I want to learn how to do taxidermy?””  Colorado Institute of Taxidermy Training.    Accessed April 15, 2012. http://www.coloradotaxidermyschool.com/.

 “How Taxidermy Got Its Start.”  Taxidermy Hobbyist: The Art of Taxidermy.  Accessed March 20, 2012. http://taxidermyhobbyist.com/history-of-taxidermy-got-its-start.html.

Jones, Karen. “Lady Wildcats and Wild Women: Hunting, Gender and the Politics of Show(wo)manship in the Nineteenth Century American West.” Nineteenth-Century Contexts: An Interdisciplinary Journal 34, no. 1 (2012): 37-49.

Keller, Jane, and Dave Olsen.  “Anne Vinnola.”   Team Huntress.  Accessed April 15, 2012.  http://teamhuntress.info/about/anne-vinnola/.

——.  “Team Huntress: Empowering Women Outdoors.”  Team Huntress.  Accessed April 15, 2012. http://teamhuntress.info/.

“Taxidermist Alicia Love wins ‘Best of Show’ at NWTF.”  Women’s Outdoor News.  Accessed April 15, 2012. http://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2010/02/taxidermist-alicia-love-wins-best-of-show-at-nwtf/.

Waterton, Charles. “On Preserving Birds for Cabinets of Natural History.” In Wanderings of South America,the North-West of the United States, and the Antilles, in the years 1812, 1816, 1820 & 1824, 324-341. London: Fellowes, 1879.  Accessed April 4, 2012, http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015005073682.

“Women Hunters.”  Women Hunters: For Women, About Women, By Women.   Accessed April 15 2012. http://www.womenhunters.com/.

Filed Under: Taxidermy ·

Curators

May 8, 2012 by ·

The artifacts in this project are part of collections selected by Sarah Phillips, the curatorial registrar at the Idaho State Historical Museum, but the essays on each genre of craft, as well as the vast majority of photos on the site, were created by students in the course Women in America: The Western Experience at Boise State University during spring 2012.

Students worked in small groups on each genre of craft:

Basketry

  • Monica Church
  • Dan Foote
  • Julie Kirk
  • Kyle Sam
  • Tekinah Sanders

 Beadwork

  • Vanessa Alvarez
  • Tori Macklin
  • Sterling Swafford
  • Debra Torres
  • Rebecca Watson

Dressmaking

  • Jon Agnew
  • Courtney Gallant
  • Tori Lee
  • Alisa Thompson

Hairwork

  • Leslie Madsen-Brooks (instructor)
  • Kelly Morgan

Lacework

  • Alex Degiulio
  • Susie Depew
  • Lee Gray

Needlework

  • Kristin Barrier
  • Jacke’lle Knickrehm
  • Cory Montgomery
  • Rebecca Morgan
  • Layne Wynn

Plein Air Painting

  • Matt Lucich
  • Darin McIntyre
  • Tre Nichols
  • Brady Potter
  • Gaby Thomason

Quiltwork

  • Irene Anderson
  • Martina Ashman
  • Joyanna Galan
  • Melissa Jensen
  • Alicia Weaver

Taxidermy

  • Philip Browning
  • Briana Cornwall
  • Sarah McIsaac
  • Rachel VanNote
  • Jolee Thomsen
Filed Under: Uncategorized ·

Welcome

May 8, 2012 by ·

Welcome to Crafting Idaho, an online exhibition prepared by students in History 346: Women in the American West, during spring 2012 at Boise State.

Because women’s contributions to society and culture have long been undervalued, they do not appear in traditional historical records as frequently as men.  It was only relatively recently that U.S. libraries and archives opted to collect and preserve within their manuscript collections the letters, journals, and other documents from noted women.  Even in these collections, however, everyday women—those who did not lead movements of political or social change, found companies, or make significant inventions or discoveries–are underrepresented.  To learn about such women, we often must turn to the quotidian objects—utilitarian or ornamental, beautiful or otherwise—they used or created.

Lacework, ca. 1900, possibly by donor Ethel G. Johnson. Idaho State Historical Society

This exhibition begins with the premise that handcrafts, regardless of cultural background, reveal the habits, beliefs, and values of the people who created and used them.  Please click around the exhibit, using the category tabs at the top of this page, to explore some of the objects Idaho women have created and what they can tell us about women’s lives.  In some cases, the objects are relatively mute on the details of their creators’ experiences; they raise more questions than they provide answers. Even in such cases, they are useful to historians, amateur or professional, because they highlight how much we don’t yet know and suggest some paths of inquiry that might lead us to better understanding of, and empathy for, the women who came before us.

Filed Under: Front Page ·

About this exhibit

May 8, 2012 by ·

Beaded shoes, Idaho State Historical Society

Crafting Idaho: Idaho Women’s Amateur Arts and Crafts is an exploration of Idaho women’s experiences with various artistic media from the nineteenth century through the present.  The exhibit features the arts and crafts of a diverse group of women—from indigenous Americans to white settlers to modern-day refugees from Africa—whose lives have intersected with the geographical region now known as Idaho.

You will find on this site several genre of art and craft, from the expected—beadwork and lacework—to the unexpected—hairwork and taxidermy.  The essay on each type of art or craft explores the context of the craft during various eras in the United States, and photos of the artifacts illustrate how women interpreted these genres in Idaho.  The objects on virtual display here represent centuries of women’s efforts.

The exhibit was created by students in the spring 2012 course Women in America: The Western Experience, taught by Dr. Leslie Madsen-Brooks at Boise State University. Without them, and the assistance of the Idaho State Historical Society, this project would not have possible.

Thanks so much for exploring our online exhibition.  Should you have questions or comments, feel free to e-mail Dr. Madsen-Brooks at lesliemadsen-brooks -at- boisestate.edu.

Filed Under: Uncategorized ·

Acknowledgements

May 8, 2012 by ·

Burundi style baskets made by Venantia Mukangeruka in 2010.
Plastic woven over wicker. Idaho State Historical Society, 2010.19.17, .20, .32.

This project was made possible by the dedicated students of Women in America: The Western Experience at Boise State University during spring 2012.  As the course instructor, I challenged them with a project unlike any most of them had attempted before. Not only did I require them to undertake small group work throughout the course, I asked them to work together as a class of 40 students on the same project. I required them to work with artifacts, and many of them had never considered material culture as historical evidence prior to this project. They had to undertake research in primary and secondary sources, and many found such sources to be scarce, but they persisted. Finally, I asked them to learn the WordPress platform as they edited and posted their essays.

Much of the collaboration among students inside and outside of class was eased by the generous loan of 40 iPads from the Mobile Learning Scholars Program at Boise State University. Students used their iPads extensively in researching this project, sharing documents, and editing their work. View a list of student curators.

This project also depended on the tremendous assistance of Sarah Phillips, the curatorial registrar at the Idaho State Historical Museum. When I was looking for a theme for this online exhibition, it was Sarah who suggested art and craft, and it was again Sarah who located and identified the objects you see on this site from among the approximately quarter-million objects in the museum’s collection.  Sarah laid out objects to be photographed and placed elaborate Victorian gowns on dress forms so the students could better study them.  Finally, she coordinated all photographic and online publishing permissions from the Idaho State Historical Society.

Accordingly, we also owe a debt of gratitude to the historical society for its willingness to open its collections to us and to allow my students to use the images on this site free of charge.

Finally, a few groups used Creative Commons-licensed photos from Flickr.com.  Many thanks to the photographers who made their images available under Creative Commons.

Many thanks to everyone involved in the project.  It was a pleasure working with all of you.


Leslie Madsen-Brooks
Boise, Idaho
May 2012 


Filed Under: Uncategorized ·

Needlework

May 7, 2012 by ·

A Sampler made by Mary Watkins in 1760 in Shennington, England. The sampler was held on to until her great-great granddaughter, which was donated to the Idaho State Historical Museum. This particular sampler displays Proverbs and Ecclesiastes verses. Idaho State Historical Society, 1921.27.15.

 

Needlework Today

If you talk to your grandmother, chances are she has done or still does needlework at some point in her life. If you talk to your mother, chances are she has done needlework at some point in her life. However, if you ask yourself or your sister or even some of your friends, chances are you have only seen needlework at some point in you life. Needlework is no longer a regularly practiced form of art for the typical modern woman. As women enter the workforce and invention of the sewing machines, needlework has slowly began to die out.

Embroidery is no longer in fashion; however, if you do want something embroidered all you have to do is program your sewing machine or take it to a seamstress and have it embroidered for a few dollars per letter. Needlework has also become an expensive form of art. For a woman that does practice needlework these day, it is not typical to develop your own designs; however, you go online and purchase a pattern for a fairly hefty expense and that is only for the pattern, not the materials you will need to complete the project. There are still a select few women that continue to practice needlework despite the advances in the sewing machine. (see Fig. 1)  This can also be seen with Idaho local Cynthia Pease Mann’s needlework design. (see Fig. 17, 7 & 8)

The Culture Behind Needlework

The history and culture of needlework is one of the most fascinating, yet almost untold through the ages.  The earliest examples of needlework show that “Ancient wall paintings and sculptures show that embroidery was worked on clothing from the earliest times.” (1) The earliest known fibers for thread was probably “made from intertwined stems and grasses, until a way of twisting short fibers and animal hairs into continuous strands evolved about 10,000 BC.” (2) Sewn objects have been found as early as 5000 B.C that were in tombs of ancient South American and also Egyptian rulers.  Needlework was done all over the world and on all continents.  It seems that almost all indigenous peoples have done needlework in one form or another.  Blackwork,  an interesting  form of needlework “ featured geometric designs on white linen, using the wool from black sheep, and it is believed to have been brought to England in the sixteenth century by Catherine of Aragon, the Spanish first wife of Henry VIII.” (3)  The earliest sampler still in existence “was stitched by an English girl, Jane Bostocke, in 1598 – just over 400 years ago.” (4) In this exhibits the oldest example of needlework is a sampler created in 1720. (see Fig. 1)

There were many different cultures that are represented by needlework.  India, Asia, Europe and most of the world has its own forms and patterns that different cultures have developed.  There are designs and patterns that are linked to families and the ways that they lived, worshiped and did the everyday ways of life.  To some cultures, needlework brings a rich woven history that can be handed down from generation to generation.  With these patterns and schemes, “designs for embroidery came with the traders, first from the Portuguese, then Dutch, and finally the English setting off on long voyages to bring back cargoes of all sorts, especially spices and textiles.” (5)  Many cultures developed customs were passed down from generation to generation and these traditions still live on in today’s modern world.

American Needlework

Needlework was brought to America over 300 years ago from Europe. (6) The needlework brought from Europe was considered very formal and as Rose Wilder Lane argues in her book, Book of American Needlework, “In typical Old World needlework, each detail is a particle of the whole; no part of the design can stand alone.  The background is solid, the pattern is formal, and a border encloses all.” (7)  American women thought differently about their needlework and change the Old World expectations immediately. However, you can still see various forms English style needlework in America. See these handkerchiefs as an example of American needlework resembling the styles of the Old World. (see Fig. 5 & 6) Lane talks about how American women took the Old World version of needlework and added the American spirit.  Lane states, “They changed it, combined its symbols, gave it space and freedom and energy; and they created a new folk art: American needlework. (8)

Needlework covers a wide range of arts and crafts and is essentially, anything created with a needle; embroidery, crewel work, cross-stitch, needlepoint, patchwork, appliqué, quilting, hooking, crochet, knitting, weaving, candelwicking, and even rugmaking. Only one of these forms of needlework is entirely American – pieced patchwork, however, patchwork was always a task for the poor versus an art. (9) The poor would use whatever pieces of fabric they could find to make anything they needed.  One of the most famous pieces of American patchwork is our very own star spangled banner created by Betsy Ross in 1776. (10) A pillowcase made by a wife to her husband who was at war illustrates some of the fun character brought to needlework by women in Idaho. (see Fig. 11 & 12)  In today’s world it is not likely a woman would make her husband an embroidered pillowcase to take to war.  It is more likely she would create a photo book or a scrapbook for him to take as a memento of his family.

Needlework Tools

It is interesting all the tools and accessories used to help produce needlework pieces. Moreover, tools and accessories have changed over time and are intertwined with changing social and economic times. These changes have affected many various forms of needlework tools. E. Johnson describes the long history of needlework dating back to Roman times and innovations that led to changes throughout needlework.  Johnson gives examples of various tools used for needlework from thorns, fish bones, carved bones and ivory. For those who could afford it, different metal compounds were used for needles. (11) There were also various needle casings, ranging from very elaborate to ordinary wood or cloth cases.

Johnson also shows very intricate thimbles, thimble cases and workboxes.  Thimbles were used because the immense constant pressure of pushing in the needle and stopping the needle. Traditional thimbles were made out of metal (12)—Johnson shows that collectors have found thimbles from ivory, wood, plastics, rubbers, glass, and porcelain—if you own thimbles, you would also need thimble cases that vary in size and detail. (13) The metals used vary from aluminum, silver, brass, and nickel. (14) Women would have also used scissors to cut the material and thread used for needlework. Johnson shows various types of scissors from large to very small and illustrates how portable scissors became. (15)
Thread is one of the important pieces to needlework because the thread was the outward appearance of what design was being displayed.  As seen in most of needlework samples, thread was used for an outer-dimensional texture and decoration. (see Fig. 1-16) If a person had a little bit more money, they had many more kinds of thread that were made of various materials. Johnson shows some workboxes (16) and reel stands for thread. (17) These stands helped to keep from thread getting tangled. Some workboxes were big enough to hold most tools. Johnson mentions that tape measures (18) and gauges were used to keep track of rudimentary style throughout a piece of work. Measuring tapes are my favorite tools because they are of different figurines that I have never seen before. To keep work intact to material or on a loom, clamps were used to keep material stretched. (19) According to Johnson, there was also darning and mending apparatuses used while making needlework and after completion to fix any irregularities there may be.

Fabric and Material

In the history of needlework it is important to know that the fabric used has a unique past of its own. According to D. Ayres, T. Hansen, T. McPherson, and B. McPhersonearly (20), early American needlework has used fabric like linen, cotton, silk and rayon. Those fabrics listed were the most common. These fibers may have traveled across the seas before being crafted into anything special. Different fabrics would be used for different crafted articles.

Cotton was the main fiber produced in America as seen in various needlework samples. (see Fig. 1-4, 9-16) Cotton was primarily used to make clothing. Linen was a hard and long process to make and came from the flax plant. Some of the flax plant was grown in America but most came imported from Europe (21). One of our needlework samples, the background was made out of cardboard and needlework stitched into the cardboard. (see Fig. 5 & 6) Crash was a fabric used for pillows and table linens. Silk was not grown very much in America and that fiber had to also be imported from far east and generally was traded for from American tobacco crops. The silk imported was used for finer things such as curtains and nice apparel, making it a very expensive product to use due to its rarity and expensive price. Silk has its weakness and deteriorates easily from sunlight. Due to the high price of silk, artificial fibers would be produced and finds its way into an affordable option to produce some crafted pieces. (22)

Most of the fabrics were combined to form an individual piece of work. It is very common to find combinations like linen and silk, or cotton and silk combined. While examining needlework of our past, it is good to know the fabric type and its origin as this adds to the meaning of the piece and its craft history as an art.

Stitching Patterns

Samplers are a group of letters, words, and simple objects. Samplers are used as either an example for someone or a way for a beginning needle worker to practice replicating letters, words, and simple objects.  Samplers were often practiced on linen, wool or sometimes satin.  Short bands of text or objects were used early on but the old format of a large number of short bands was replaced by wider ones of increased interest, more like pictures, and by the middle of the century borders are seen around a panel containing lettering, texts, biblical verses, and motifs. (23)  American girls were expected to do two sorts of samplers. First, a plain sampler was used with the alphabet and numbers. The second sampler was more decorative sampler showing their expertise.  Some larger samplers could be made up to 30 inches wide and divided into sections with texts, patterns and animals. (24)  Samplers not only taught sewing but also taught a young woman the alphabet and numbers in her own language as well as, other languages and scripts. Several different types of samplers could be combined onto one sampler.

The Dictionary of Needlework lists thousands of different kinds of stitches on hundreds of different kinds of material. (25) The most popular being cross and tent stitching, although the more traditional Victorian and random long are also seen in the present.  The Hardanger stitch as seen on the lace doily, (Fig. 5) is based on groups of satin stitches called the Kloster blocks.  You must complete all of a Kloster block embroidery before cutting out the centers.  Then you can add other decorative stitches to embellish see this website for examples. (www.embrodiery-methods.com)

The Future of Needlework

Rose Lane conveys her feelings regarding the meaning of needlework:

 Needlework is the art that tells the truth about the real life of people in their time and place.  The great arts, music, sculpture, painting, literature, are work of a few unique persons whom lesser men emulate, often for generations.  Needlework is anonymous; the people create it.  Each piece is the work of a woman who is thinking only of making for her child, her friend, her home or herself a bit of beauty that pleases her.

So her needlework expresses what she is, more clearly than her handwriting does.  It expresses everything that makes her an individual unlike any other person – her character, her mind and her spirit, her experience in living.  It expresses, too, her country’s history and culture, the traditions, the philosophy, the ways of living that she takes for granted. (25)

The history behind needlework is undeniable; however, the future is yet to be seen.  Will needlework die out or will it last the test of time?  The the sewing machine has made it easier, faster, and more accessible to create a quick intricate pattern on just about any type of cloth. The constant pull on a woman’s time allows for little spare time for art, never the less, a dying art such as needlework.  This form of art has become less and less desirable as the fashions have changed, cost has risen for quality patters, and the cost for mass produced items is much less than making your own clothing and designs.  Needlework is hanging on by a thread but you never know what the future holds.  If fashion trends change and women decide this form of art is worth keeping we may see needlework continue to develop throughout time.

View the needlework sample artifacts.

Endnotes
1. “History,” Classic Cross Stitch, accessed April 11, 2012, http://www.classiccrossstitch.com/history.html.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6.Rose Wilder Lane, Book of American Needlework, (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1963), 64.
7. Ibid., 12 .
8. Ibid., 14.
9. Ibid., 14.
10. Ibid., 15.
11.Eleanor Johnson, Needlework and Embroidery Tools (Prince Risborough: Shire Publications, 1999), 37.
12. Ibid, 14.
13. Ibid, 15.
14. Ibid, 14-16.
15. Ibid, 4, 6-7, 9 & 29.
16. Ibid, 5.
17. Ibid, 27.
18. Ibid, 24-25.
19. Ibid, 12.
20. Dianne Ayres et al., American Arts and Crafts Textiles (New York: Harry N Abrams, Inc., 2002).
21. Ibid.
22. Ibid.
23. Lanto Synge, Art of Embroidery: History of Style and Technique (Woodbridge: Antique Collectors’ Club , 2001), 203.
24. Ibid., 204.
25. Rose Wilder Lane, Book of American Needlework, (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1963), 13.

References

Ayres, Dianne, Timothy Hansen, Beth McPherson, and Tommy McPherson II. American Arts and Crafts Textiles. New York: Harry N Abrams, Inc., 2002.

Eleanor Johnson, Needlework and embroidery tools. (Prince Risborough, Buckinghamshire: Shire Publications, 1999), 37.

“History.” Classic Cross Stitch. Accessed April 11, 2012. http://www.classiccrossstitch.com/history.html.

Lane, Rose Wilder. Woman’s Day: Book of American Needlework. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1963.

Synge, Lanto. Art of Embroidery: History of Style and Technique. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors’ Club , 2001.

Filed Under: Needlework ·

Idaho Dressmaking in the 19th Century: Exhibit Preview

May 7, 2012 by ·

In this exhibit, we will examine how historic Idaho dressmaking was motivated by practicality, more specifically, a deviation from the traditional elaborate Victorian wedding practice. To do this, we will first examine the characteristics of Victorianism. Second, we will expose the historical reasons women on the American frontier could not meet the Victorian expectations. Lastly, we will discuss technological innovations such as the sewing machine that empowered women and made fashion more accessible and less time consuming.

*photos can be enlarged by clicking on each one individually.

Filed Under: Dressmaking ·

An Introduction to Victorian Dress

May 7, 2012 by ·

A woman’s dress is a unique cultural artifact that provides glimpses into specific cultural identities1. Historically, Idaho women’s clothing was marked with practicality; structure and function were paramount to the fashion trends of the 19th century. The wedding dresses displayed in this digital exhibit provide unique insights into Idaho women’s cultural tradition. These dresses, although they are cut to accommodate the modest fashions of the 19th century possess a color and style that was more practical for life on the American frontier.

For more than half of the 19th century Great Britain, and more specifically Queen Victoria, set the trend in both societal customs and fashions. In fact, the years between about 1840 and the turn of the 20th century are referred to as the Victorian era. During this span of time Victorianism spread throughout Great Britain and much of the United States. Victorianism is most commonly thought of as a set of rather strict values, a kind of social-moral code to follow —  obsessively concerned with modesty and propriety. By being so obsessed with modesty Victorianism also had a distinct fashion trend that lasted throughout the era2.

Victorian women’s fashion consisted of dresses with high necklines, often rising above the collarbones, sleeves reaching to the wrists and full-length skirts grazing the ground and adding several pounds to the garment. Nearly every part of a proper Victorian woman’s body should have been covered, especially the entirety of her legs3. The bodice and sleeves of Victorian dresses were tightly fitted to the body of the woman wearing it4. Corsets were worn underneath dresses in order to create an illusion of a tiny, hourglass waist, a prominent body modification trend of the 19th century. Another typical style of the 19thcentury came with the development of the bustle.

Notice the decorative bow atop the mounds of fabric, containing a wire cage-like structure underneath: the bustle. Image courtesy of Idaho State Historical Society. Catalog # 1989.06.03/1-2

The bustle consisted of fabric, bunched up and draped to accentuate the hips of the dress wearer. The bustle eventually lost popularity because of the difficulty of execution in dressmaking. While still Western in structure, all of the dresses in this exhibit have some qualities of Victorian trends.

Notice the tightly fitted bodice and conservative skirt and sleeve lengths, as well as the high collar. Image courtesy of Idaho State Historical Society. Catalog # 1989.06.03/1-2

Pagoda sleeves were a popular trend as Queen Victoria's wedding dress had similar pagoda-style sleeves. Image courtesy of Idaho State Historical Society. Catalog # 1988.81.1

A conservative jacket covers the short-sleeved bodice of this dress, meaning the dress could have been worn during all seasons of the year. Image courtesy of Idaho State Historical Society. Catalog # 1971.119.3/1-3

This dress is a classic Victorian style, with long sleeves, a high collar and excess fabric at the hips to cover the bustle on the back of the dress. Image courtesy of Idaho State Historical Society. Catalog # 1975.25.2/1-2

This dress is a perfect example of a western style -- yet still Victorian -- dress. It follows the modest guidelines of Victorian fashion while accomodating to the earthy colors of the western frontier. Image courtesy of Idaho State Historical Society. Catalog # 935 C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ENDNOTES

1. Nancy Micklewright, Late-Nineteenth-Century Ottoman Wedding Costumes as Indicators of Social Change (BRILL: Leiden, 1989) 161.

 

2. Kelly Boyd and Rohan McWilliam. Victorian Studies Reader (New York: Routledge, 2007).

 

3. Chris Ingraham. White Weddings: Romancing Heterosexuality in Popular Culture (New York: Routledge, 2007).

 

4. Ingraham, White Weddings.

Filed Under: Dressmaking ·

The Victorian White Wedding

May 7, 2012 by ·

While most historical fashions are in someway similar to Victorian fashion, one aspect of Victorian fashion new for Victorians was the notion of a white wedding dress. Queen Victoria set this trend in 1840 by wearing a white satin gown at her wedding. Soon after the Queen’s wedding, brides in much of the Western world were following suit, literally, by choosing white as the color for their wedding gowns5. Generally, women wore their high Victorian fashion garments to relay a societal message of personal or familial prestige and class6. However, brides living on the American frontier had more to consider when choosing a wedding dress than the trends of the Victorian era. Practical interests such as keeping warm, dry and safe were pressing issues, thus clothing was durable – “not necessarily stylish or good looking7.”

Wedding portraits of Queen Victoria. Notice the white satin fabric, conservative length and pagoda-esque sleeves -- as well as the overall excess of dress material and accompanying accessories -- the signature Victorian wedding! Image courtesy of Lea Ann Belter Bridal, a user of Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/photos/leaannbelterbridal/5631626102/

ENDNOTES

5. Historic Costume and Textiles Collection, Ohio State University. “Wedding Traditions” Last updated 2012. Accessed May 1, 2012. http://costume.osu.edu/exhibitions/wedding/#latevictorian

 

6. Donald Clay-Johnson. Wedding Dress Across Cultures (Oxford: Berg, 2003) 1.

 

7. Katherine Krohn. Calico dresses and buffalo robes: American West fashions from the 1840s to the 1890s (Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century Books, 2012) 16. Accessed April 1, 2012.

Filed Under: Dressmaking ·

History of Lace

May 7, 2012 by ·

Courtesy of The Idaho State Historical Society.

 

Lace has been used to decorate and adorn for thousands of years.  It has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs and still decorates clothing and objects in the world today.  It was used by clergy of the early Catholic Church as part of vestments in religious ceremonies, but did not come into widespread use until the 16th century when the popularity of lace increased rapidly as did the cottage industry of making lace.  Once the industry expanded, lace no longer was considered a luxury item.  Lace suddenly became more affordable and easier to make.  Women all over Europe, and eventually the world, were suddenly able to use lace in every day life.  In the 19th century, lace making spread to the Native American tribes in North America through missionaries.  St. John Francis Regis became the Patron Saint of Lace-Making, by helping girls establish lacemaking and embroidery trades to keep country girls away from the cities.  On any given day you may observe lace on an individual’s clothing or possessions. Although women in Idaho do not have a vastly documented history of lace, women across Europe and North America used lace to accent, adorn, and enhance their status and personality and undoubtedly, Idaho women were no exception.

 

Filed Under: Lacework ·
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