Fabric Definitions — definitions of fabrics, cloths, laces and textile materials from Apparel Search
Kenmare lace is the needlepoint lace made at Kenmare in Ireland, where the Poor Clare nuns, under Mother Abbess O'Hagan, established an industrial school in the convent after the Holy Cross Church was completed in 1864, when poverty was extreme and there was no remunerative employment for women. Girls were chiefly employed producing lace, sales reached 500 pounds a year by 1869, fine needlepoint making began about that time, and the work was sold in Paris and London as Point d'Irelandaise.
|
|
The building of the convent and church in Kenmare provided several years of much needed employment for local tradesmen and labourers. However, after the Holy Cross Church was completed in 1864 the workmen and their families began to experience a most difficult time-poverty was extreme and there was no remunerative employment for women. It was then that the Poor Clare nuns under the leadership of Mother Abbess O'Hagan set upon a practical course to help the needy to help themselves, by establishing an industrial school in the convent building. There, young girls were chiefly employed in producing lace, but embroidery, woodcarving and leatherwork were developed also.
Inevitably, much of the early work was spoiled and soiled but gradually, through patience and encouragement the products began to improve and many girls were capable of earning from five to eighteen shillings a week, a very considerable wage at that time. Sales figures reached 500 per annum by 1869 and it was about that time also, that the making of fine needlepoint lace began. Only Irish Crochet had been produced up to this but this had been developed so skilfully in design and execution that it became known as "Point d'Irelandaise" and it could be bought in Paris and London. At home, the wealthy tourists who travelled "The Prince of Wales Route" (Killarney to Glengarriff) on the long cars, were encouraged to call to the convent to view and purchase some lace, while four fresh horses were being harnessed for the continuation of their journey. At the Cork Exhibition of 1883 medals were awarded to Kenmare lace. This Exhibition created great interest in the art world of that era, where it was remarked that the designs generally were not worthy of such skillful and perfect execution.
To improve matters, the Art Department, at Kensington, London, sent over Alan S Cole, C.B., a lace expert, to give illustrated lectures throughout Ireland. The Kenmare Lace School began at once to study design under competent masters and an art class was established. James Brennan, R.H.A., Headmaster of the Science and Art School, Cork, was retained to give lessons at the Convent School and the Art Director in London co-operated fully by arranging for examinations to be held in Kenmare. Local boys were not neglected. They got lessons in drawing and design and were trained to do leatherwork and wood carving. In these mediums Celtic ornament was freely used. Sr. Gertrude Courtenay, a native of the town, took an Art Masters Certificate and several others gained Art Class Teachers Certificates as well as certificates for special subjects.
Later it became the turn of the girls to distinguish
themselves and medals and prizes were constantly awarded
to them in competitions with entries from all the art schools
of Great Britain. The Department of Education now paid the
school according to results and money received was used
to improve facilities. Queen Victoria ordered a piece of
lace in one of the prize designs and several connoisseurs-notably
Mrs. Alfred Morrison of Forthill, Wiltshire and Mrs. Winacles,
the wife of an American millionaire-placed many orders.
A bedcover designed and worked specially for Mrs. Winacles,
fetched
300 in 1886.
Urged on by S. C. Hall the well-known travel writer more and more English people supported the industry. Mr. Hall, who up to then wished to win people away from the Church of Rome, was so impressed by the work of the nuns that he composed, printed and distributed all over England, verses in praise of the work and asking that it be supported. He became and remained till his death one of the greatest benefactors.
Many pieces of fine embroidery were produced. A picture of the Crucifixion worked on fine linen is so perfectly stitched that one can scarcely believe it to be embroidery at all. Sr. Bonaventure Smith was the first artist to use Celtic tracery in 19th Century Ecclesiastical Vestments. She made Mitres for many members of the Irish, American and Australian Hierachy. Professor Lamour of Queens University came across her work in many places and gives her honourable mention in his recent book on "The Celtic Art Revival". Two outstanding local lace-workers were Katie and Mary Jane Leahy who worked the well-known Tabernacle Veil, now in the National Museum
With a steady flow of fees from good results the nuns purchased the most sophisticated tools and equipment available at the time. With their savings, supplemented by a donation from an unknown benefactor, they erected a new wing which contained a spacious, well lighted room for the lace workers and a beautiful kindergarten. Teachers, who had obtained their art certificates in Kenmare, were readily employed in England and some of them were appointed "Specialist Teachers of Drawing" in London schools. With the changes brought about by the 1914-'18 war the market for lace declined and the workers emigrated, but the lace room with its display of antique and modern lace is still visited today by hundreds of tourists. Continentals, Americans and Australians have seen samples of the lace in foreign museums and traced it to its source. Washington D.C., has in the National Museum a needlepoint hanging which depicts Eire with the Round Tower and Wolfhound.
King Edward VII purchased a collarette for Queen Alexandra and Queen Elizabeth II received among her wedding gifts an antique bed-cover of Kenmare Needlepoint. The Vatican has a needlepoint rochet designed in Kenmare and presented to Pope Leo XIII by the Irish Hierarchy and an embroidered mitre presented to Pope John Paul II in 1980 I name but a few of the well-known pieces extant. The Folk Museum and the National Museum are very interested in photocopying the large collection of designs preserved in Kenmare and thus keep a record of past achievements. The producer of "Hands" on R.T.E. has also filmed much of the lace for his programme. Due to economic factors Kenmare Lace was brought about its decline and apparent demise. But local pride, initiative and skill have come together, so that Kenmare Lace is being made again.
The information regarding Kenmare Lace was Published in the Kenmare Journal 1982 to learn more about Kenmare please visit http://kenmare.com/
Learn more about fabric.
Learn about knit fabrics.
Learn about woven fabrics.
|
|
Kenmare differs from most lace histories in how completely the school is the industry. The convent industrial school did not merely employ lacemakers; it trained them, then trained their teachers — Sr. Gertrude Courtenay took an Art Master Certificate, others gained teaching certificates, and Kenmare-trained teachers were appointed as specialist drawing teachers in London schools. The Department of Education paid the school according to examination results, and the income bought the most sophisticated tools available and eventually a new wing with a spacious, well-lit lace room. The trajectory from spoiled early work to medal-winning needlepoint — sales of 500 a year by 1869, Cork Exhibition medals in 1883, constant prizes in competitions across Great Britain — is presented in the Kenmare Journal account as a direct return on that educational structure: design teaching from James Brennan and the Kensington connection closed the one gap, design quality, between Kenmare skill and the top of the market.
The end of the account is the standard Irish lace ending with a local exception. The 1914-18 war changed the market, demand declined and the workers emigrated; economic factors brought decline and apparent demise. What survived was unusually complete: the lace room with its display of antique and modern lace, visited by hundreds of tourists; the large preserved collection of designs that museums sought to photocopy; filmed records made for the RTE programme Hands; and named masterworks in museum and royal hands, from the Tabernacle Veil worked by Katie and Mary Jane Leahy to the National Museum needlepoint hanging in Washington. On that foundation — designs, examples and local pride intact — Kenmare lace is being made again. The Kenmare case therefore shows both halves of the Irish lace story in one town: a convent school that built a world-class needlepoint trade from famine-era poverty, and a heritage complete enough for the trade to restart from its own records.
After the Holy Cross Church was completed in 1864, local workmen families faced extreme poverty with no employment for women. The Poor Clare nuns under Mother Abbess O'Hagan founded an industrial school in the convent where young girls produced lace — and also embroidery, woodcarving and leatherwork — learning through patience and encouragement until they could earn five to eighteen shillings a week.
Design teaching. After the Cork Exhibition of 1883, where execution was praised but designs were judged unworthy of the skill, the Art Department at Kensington sent lace expert Alan S. Cole to lecture across Ireland. The Kenmare school studied design under competent masters, retained James Brennan of Cork to give lessons, held London-arranged examinations, and won constant medals and prizes afterward.
Queen Victoria ordered a piece in one of the prize designs; a bedcover made for Mrs. Winacles fetched 300 in 1886; King Edward VII purchased a collarette for Queen Alexandra; the Vatican holds a needlepoint rochet designed in Kenmare and presented to Pope Leo XIII; and Queen Elizabeth II received an antique Kenmare needlepoint bed-cover among her wedding gifts.