What do Alexander Hamilton and bobbin lace have in common? Do you know that the only place in the US where handmade lace was a cottage industry was in Ipswich MA in the 18th century? We usually think of handmade lace as a European endeavor beginning in the 1500s (think Venice; think Brussels).
Given the fragility of antique lace and the fact that it cannot be signed, like art and quilts and samplers, it is very rare to discover its provenance outside of royal archives. Yet such a provenance has been uncovered in the Library of Congress.
There were Ipswich lace makers in Maine as well, and a recent discovery of a cape belonging to Zilpah Wadsworth Longfellow in the Maine Historical Society archives may reveal new knowledge about the lace and local industry.
Join us to learn how members of the New England Lace Group (NELG) have used historic samples of lace from Ipswich MA to recreate the lace, research the origins of this cottage industry, and bring its history alive for today’s textile afficionados.
Link for the virtual meeting will be provided later.
About the Presenters: Karen Thompson is a volunteer curator of the Smithsonian lace collection and author of The Lace Samples from Ipswich Massachusetts, 1789-1790; Mary Mangan is a Revolutionary War reenactor and lace hobbyist; Gail MacLean has demonstrated making Ipswich lace at many New England venues, including Old Sturbridge Village.
