News
Thursday 16 August 2007
International lace collection given funding boost
The future development of a lace collection, considered to be of local, national and international importance, has been given a significant boost with a £42,000 grant award. Nottingham Trent University’s lace collection, which includes 75,000 items, has received the funds from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), allowing work to begin on setting up a database and making key parts of it web-accessible.
The original collection resulted from bequests by local companies and the Nottingham Lace Federation. Donations were made from the late-19th Century up to the mid-20th Century, with some dating back to the 1600s.
Significant pieces include the ‘Ferrari’ of lace from Italy – a sample of ‘Gros point’ a Venetian lace dress panel from the 17th Century which would have cost the equivalent of a Ferrari today - and a sample of lace from a Duchess of York's wedding dress that dates back to the beginning of the 20th Century.
The collection also includes books on lace history and teaching aids, providing a rich resource for studying the technical and aesthetic parameters and achievements of lace design and manufacturing.
The funding, amongst other things, will enable Nottingham Trent University to review the existing collection and evaluate the cataloguing data used.
Amanda Briggs-Goode, senior lecturer in Applied Design at Nottingham Trent University and part of the bid team, said: “At its height Nottingham was seen to be the epicentre for the lace industry worldwide - in fact the School of Art was established in 1843 to furnish the lace industry with designers - so it is fitting that this university holds such an important collection.
“The archive provides vital clues to the development of lace manufacture, from hand-made through to machine production. The funds will allow us to preserve the historical past as well as optimising the archive’s future potential.”
Gillian Proctor, Senior lecturer and Principal Investigator of the collection, said: “To date, access to the collection has been extremely limited. Our students have utilised pieces for design inspiration and one of the pattern books was used to create a lace inspired, filigree concrete panel for the new Centre for Contemporary Arts in Nottingham.
“Cataloguing the collection will be a slow process since much of the lace is rather delicate and it is essential to ensure we correctly identify all items. Once the database is established, we hope to enable access to key pieces through the internet.”
The collection not only includes British designs but also portfolios of lace from Italy, France, Brussels, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Russia.
Ann Priest, Dean of the School of Art of Design, said: “Nottingham and the surrounding areas are still ‘hotspots’ for lace design and production so we would be very interested in working with colleagues here – and indeed further a field – to expand the collection. Our aim is to continue to document the development of lace manufacture to ensure the collection remains alive and relevant.”
For anyone interested in donating to the collection please contact Gillian Proctor on +44 (0)115 848 8477 or via email.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
The AHRC funds postgraduate training and research in the arts and humanities, from archaeology and English literature to design and dance. The quality and range of research supported not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK. For further information on the AHRC, please see the website.
The project will also be helped by donations from Nottingham Trent University's former students via the Alumni Fund. Nearly £2000 has been awarded to the project team for the purchase of equipment to help with the digitisation.
For further information on Nottingham Trent University please contact: Dave Rogers, Press Officer, on Tel: +44 (0)115 848 8782, or via email. Or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on Tel: +44 (0)115 848 8774, or via email.
