Thomas Lester, His Lace and the East Midlands Industry 1820-1905

by Anne Buck

The 19th century saw a sad decline in the fortunes of the English handmade lace industry, yet in the East Midlands the period also witnessed some of its most interesting and remarkable designs. A key figure in this achievement was the Bedford lace merchant Thomas Lester. This book sets his designs and the development of his family business against the fashions of the period, the conditions in the industry and of its workers, and the relentless competition from machine made lace.

108 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1978

Reviews

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting look at the East Midlands lace industry as machine-made lace made hand-made lace uncompetitive. I was struck by the near-slave conditions of the child lace-makers - quite similar to the carpet-weavers in the 20th century, except that they weren't actually slaves. Unhealthy workspaces, poor lighting, long work hours - yet the alternative was often deep poverty for the entire family. Beautiful pictures of some of the lace patterns jobbed out by Thomas Lester, as well as pictures of lacemakers, the Lester shop.