Chapman, Roslyn (2015) The history of the fine lace knitting industry in nineteenth and early twentieth century Shetland. PhD thesis. https://theses.gla.ac.uk/6763/ Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten: Theses https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] The history of the fine lace knitting industry in nineteenth and early twentieth century Shetland Roslyn Chapman MA (Hons), MLitt Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy History School of Humanities College of Arts University of Glasgow April 2015 Abstract This thesis tells the story of Shetland knitted lace. It is a history that comprises more than a series of chronological events which illustrate the development of a domestic craft industry; it is also the story of a landscape and the people who inhabited it and the story of the emergence of a distinctive textile product which achieved global recognition Focusing on the material culture of Shetland lace opens up questions about the relationships between the women who produce it, the men and women who sell it and the women who consume and wear it. In acknowledging these connected histories and by following Shetland lace over time and across, often wide, geographical spaces, Shetland knitted lace can be shown to epitomize and signify social relations. This research takes a life cycle, or biographical, approach to Shetland lace in which consideration is given not only to the circumstances surrounding its production, but also to recognising the different stages in its development and how it moved through different hands, contexts and uses. Shetland lace exists within a set of cultural relationships which are temporally, spatially and socially specific and it carries shifting historical and cultural stories about its makers, traders and wearers and the worlds that they inhabited. Recognising these relationships as an integral element in the formation of historical and cultural narratives it is possible to see the role Shetland lace played in defining self and community within Shetland while acknowledging difference in an expanding national and international market. This understanding of the production, marketing and consumption processes demonstrates the multiple relationships between Shetland lace and its market and between the producer and consumer. The focus on the highly skilled Shetland lace producers demonstrates the development of female enterprise and entrepreneurship in the Shetland lace industry in which local networks operated in an exchange of labour and goods, both as a barter and monetary economy. Identifying the economic and symbolic place of Shetland lace within Shetland society highlights the impact of external influences on the success, and perceived decline of this industry. From this perspective this research engages with many of the key questions concerning a specialised form of textile production dominated by women, its place within the female economy, and its position within the world of trade and fashion. In this it aims to make a new contribution to our knowledge of women's work, of the operation of markets, and the perception of skill and value in the past and the present and provide an understanding of an industry which was a crucial element of household economics and female autonomy in these islands. It acknowledges the community of unknown Shetland women who, over generations, introduced, produced and sustained the Shetland lace industry and where possible identifies, and gives a voice to, previously unknown individual producers. 2 Table of contents Abstract ...................................................................................... 2 Table of contents ........................................................................... 3 List of figures ............................................................................... 4 List of accompanying material ........................................................... 6 Acknowledgement .......................................................................... 7 Author’s declaration ....................................................................... 8 Abbreviations ............................................................................... 9 Maps ......................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................. 12 Chapter 2: Fine knitting before fine knitted Shetland lace ......................... 45 Chapter 3: Made in Shetland ............................................................. 67 Chapter 4: Not made in Shetland: real and imitation Shetland lace ............. 113 Chapter 5: Leaving Shetland: the distribution and marketing of Shetland lace. 157 Chapter 6: Being somewhere else: the reception and consumption of Shetland lace ......................................................................................... 204 Chapter 7: Conclusion ................................................................... 239 Appendices ................................................................................ 248 Bibliography ............................................................................... 258 3 ERRATA SHEET This errata sheet lists the errors and the corresponding corrections for the doctoral thesis written by Roslyn Chapman, titled The history of the fine lace knitting industry in nineteenth and early twentieth century Shetland. Submitted to The University of Glasgow, 2015. The List of Figures on pages 4 and 5 is correct. However, due to a formatting error the Figure numbers in the body of the work from page 17 are 2 digits out of synch, causing Figures 7-50 to be incorrectly labelled as 5-48. Please see table below which will indicate the correction and the page number where it is located. Location Error Correction Location Error Correction p. 17 Figure 5 Figure 7 p. 120 Figure 27 Figure 29 p. 45 Figure 6 Figure 8 p. 124 Figure 28 Figure 30 p. 50 Figure 7 Figure 9 p. 125 (upper image) Figure 29 Figure 31 p. 55 Figure 8 Figure 10 p. 125 (lower image) Figure 30 Figure 32 p. 62 Figure 9 Figure 11 p. 126 Figure 31 Figure 33 p. 63 Figure 10 Figure 12 p. 132 Figure 32 Figure 34 p. 66 Figure 11 Figure 13 p. 147 Figure 33 Figure 35 p. 67 Figure 12 Figure 14 p. 157 Figure 34 Figure 36 p. 69 Figure 13 Figure 15 p. 162 Figure 35 Figure 37 p. 72 Figure 14 Figure 16 p. 176 Figure 36 Figure 38 p. 74 Figure 15 Figure 17 p. 177 Figure 37 Figure 39 p. 75 Figure 16 Figure 18 p. 183 Figure 38 Figure 40 p. 76 (upper image) Figure 17 Figure 19 p. 184 Figure 39 Figure 41 p. 76 (lower image) Figure 18 Figure 20 p. 198 Figure 40 Figure 42 p. 77 Figure 19 Figure 21 p. 201 Figure 41 Figure 43 p. 78 Figure 20 Figure 22 p. 210 Figure 42 Figure 44 p. 81 Figure 21 Figure 23 p. 213 (upper image) Figure 43 Figure 45 p. 87 (upper image) Figure 22 Figure 24 p. 213 (lower image) Figure 44 Figure 46 p. 87 (lower image) Figure 23 Figure 25 p. 214 Figure 45 Figure 47 p. 102 (upper image) Figure 24 Figure 26 p. 216 Figure 46 Figure 48 p. 102 (lower image) Figure 25 Figure 27 p. 217 Figure 47 Figure 49 p. 113 Figure 26 Figure 28 p. 219 Figure 48 Figure 50 The Joy Sandison Collection, noted in the thesis as being held in the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, is now held in Shetland Museum and Archives, Lerwick. List of figures Figure 1: Map of Shetland showing the principal islands and towns mentioned in this thesis. .................................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 2: Map of Unst showing the principal settlements mentioned in this thesis ............ 11 Figure 3: Lisa, Ann and Joan Sutherland. ............................................................................ 12 Figure 4: Selection of Shetland fine lace knitted shawls and veils. ..................................... 15 Figure 5: Shetland lace stoles ............................................................................................... 16 Figure 6: Three royal stoles.................................................................................................. 16 Figure 7: Shetland fine lace knitted articles ......................................................................... 17 Figure 8: John Bruce of Sumburgh christening shawl ......................................................... 45 Figure 9: Fine hand-spun Shetland worsted. ........................................................................ 50 Figure 10: Composite of Paisley and Shetland articles showing possible influence. .......... 55 Figure 11: Cat's Paw motif ................................................................................................... 62 Figure 12: Saltire with cat's paw .......................................................................................... 63 Figure 13: Orenburg shawls and Shetland lace articles illustrating ‘possible’ influence .... 66 Figure 14: Postcard showing a Shetland lace stole, produced by the