THE CALAIS LACE TEXTILE JOURNAL (1838-1931): THE LABOR RELATIONS DEPOSITORY OF THE CITY OF LACE AND FASHION

Abstract

To paraphrase Edmund Husserl, who refers to books as “objects imbued with spirit,” it is difficult to leaf through this collection of cut-and-pasted samples without immediately remembering those who contributed to their creation, from the sketch artist to the seamstresses to the tulle maker. A remnant of the work of thousands of men and women who produced miles and miles of machine-made lace, the textile archives of the fabric library represent the beating heart of the collection, as they are, in miniature, what remains of these different eras.