Overview

The history of an entrepreneurial family whose work influenced followers of the Arts and Crafts Movement, Gothic Revivalism, Art Needlework and Aestheticism LONGLISTED for the Arnold Bennett Society Book Prize 2020 This book is a richly illustrated history of the Wardle family of Leek, Staffordshire, which rose to prominence in fine textile production in the second half ofthe nineteenth century. At its core is an object-centred exploration revealing how an entrepreneurial family responded to complex international factors. Beautiful dyed, printed and embroidered textiles were created in Leek using traditional craft skills. Followers of the Arts and Crafts Movement and Gothic Revivalism, as well as Art Needlework and Aestheticism, benefited from the family enterprises that flourished despite rapid industrialisation. The Wardle family's rich legacy is played out against the backdrop of the Anglo-Indian silk trade. Thomas Wardle travelled in India and integrated Indian designs into British silk production. His work attracted William Morris, Walter Crane and A. L. Liberty, among others, and their designs, printed by Wardle, were internationally applauded. Elizabeth Wardle, embroiderer, worked with many major architects such as R. N. Shaw, G. G. Scott Jnr and J. D. Sedding.Lavishly illustrated, this book will be of interest to those interested in textile and fashion history and the history of the Arts and Crafts movement, as well as the relationship between the British Empire and the Indian subcontinent. BRENDA M. KING is a textile historian and holds the Chair of the Textile Society. She is also a freelance lecturer in the History of Design and Museum and Heritage Studies and the author of Silk and Empire (2005 and 2009) and Dye, Print, Stitch: Textiles by Thomas and Elizabeth Wardle (2009).

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9781783273959

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A welcome addition to literature already available on textile history of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. * JOURNAL OF DESIGN HISTORY * A valuable addition to the history of textile production. * THE VICTORIAN * Required reading for those interested in textile and fashion history [and] the Arts and Crafts movement. * ASIAN TEXTILES * Including detailed narrative, historical black-and-white photographs, and color plates of gorgeous silk and gold embroideries, this volume fully documents the Wardles' important roles as entrepreneurs and community leaders. Recommended. * CHOICE * King's account is notable for its close descriptions of the original textile [Bayeux Tapestry] in France as well as the copy created in Leek. She examines both in great detail and provides an eminently informative narrative [.] -- PAUL ANDERTON Brenda M. King's richly illustrated historical account shifts the focus from Thomas Wardle to his wife, family and wider social and cultural milieu. * MIDLAND HISTORY * It is a valuable resource and will, hopefully, lead to the discovery of further archive material about the Leek embroiderers and the work of the intriguing Wardle family. * SPAB, THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANCIENT BUILDINGS * This book belongs on the bookshelves of those interested not only in the Wardle family, but also in architecture, textile dying and printing, and embroidery of the Victorian era-the time of the Arts and Crafts movement, Gothic Revivalism, and the Aesthetic Movement. -- Maureen Daly Goggin * Victorian Studies *

King's account is notable for its close descriptions of the original textile [Bayeux Tapestry] in France as well as the copy created in Leek. She examines both in great detail and provides an eminently informative narrative [.] PAUL ANDERTON

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