Concentrating on the laces of the 19th through to the early
20th century gives an opportunity to showcase a selection
of some of the items from our ever-increasing collection of
English Laces from this era.

Outputs of the various lace industries were formed to
improve slipping standards in design, as well as finding
clients to buy the output from the dwindling population of
lacemakers, as slowly and inevitably this cottage industry
became a thing of the past. Unable to resist the cheapness
and quality of the machine-based product, coupled with
changing life styles and fashions following the Great War,
its demise was inevitable.

This exhibition is linked to an upcoming one which will
celebrate The Lace Guild’s Golden Jubilee, when the work of
amateur lacemakers took on the challenge of rediscovering
and conserving knowledge of lacemaking during the second
half of the 20th century and beyond.