Embroideries - Althea Mackenzie

The Snowshill Collection of costumes and accessories, created by Charles Paget Wade, represents a private collection of world-class quality. It contains over 2,200 items, the majority originating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, many unique, and most of astounding quality.;Now at Berrington Hall in Herefordshire, the collection is rarely on display because of the vulnerability of the pieces. Special photography has been commissioned so that this series will enable those interested in costume, design, and needlework to enjoy some of the treasures from the collection and understand them in their social and historical context.;Wade's collection was built on three main principles: design, colour and craftsmanship. This applied not only to the costumes and accessories themselves, but also to the techniques that transformed them from functional objects into works of art. The techniques on display here are embroideries, from the Elizabethan period through to the late nineteenth century, from silkwork and whitework to quilting and ribbon work. The result is a rich source book for all embroiderers.