Witney Catalogs 2022-2024

Witney Antiques in the UK has had a three year exhibition series on 17th century schoolgirl embroidery and other decorative arts worked by schoolgirls which just closed.  As part of this extravaganza, Rebecca published three catalogs which were interlinked documenting the pieces which were on sale or loan from private collectors.  

It is rare to see many caskets and stumpwork in one place, not to mention the 'toys' or smalls that might have been made by the girls and housed in the pieces.  Rebecca had been saving items for years in order to do these exhibitions as well as books.  Usually the annual exhibit is accompanyed by a well photographed softbound catalog with researched commentary about each piece to help buyers who can't make it to the exhibit make decisions.  This catalog has become a highly desired book for lovers of embroidery since there are so few publications in the embroidery field.    

These latest three books are an exceptional exception to the typical Witney catalog.  First, they are over 2-3 times the size of the usual books and they include additional essays about new research in schoolgirl embroidery.  Volume 1 (2022) is a softbound book which documents dozens and dozens of English band samplers.  The second volume (2023) is a hardcover book which documents the Elizabeth Hall collection and family members embroidery.  Elizabeth Hall attended the Shackelwell school near Hackney, a quaker boarding school for girls.  Her wrapped card casket is in pristine condition and it contained a wealth of embroidered items and samplers from later quaker family members.  The family had a trove of letters which allowed Rebecca to learn much about this family, published in the book.  It is rare for a new casket and additional embroideries to come on the market, much less with bibliographic information and associated with an actual school.  

The third book (2024) highlights the first known decoupaged casket as well as a mind-blowing number of newly seen whitework samplers, caskets, stumpwork mirrors, etc.  

Thistle Threads has all three of these books at the moment for sale in the shop.  The 2022 catalog on samplers is in low supply.  If you are interested in spending Christmas in an embroidery-stupor, put these books on your Christmas list!