The Lace Room
ADVANCE NOTIFICATION: Lace Room closure for exciting redevelopment: From September 15th 2019 until the end of 2020. If your group would like to see our lace collection, with a few weeks prior notice we can bring examples out of storage. Our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. (Trustees of the Cowper & Newton Museum).
From the late 16th to the late 19th century Olney was a lace-making town. Trace the development of this cottage industry through old pictures, photographs & examples of beautiful hand-made lace
Find out how William & John supported the lacemakers when they fell on hard times.
Link to C&N museum page on lace-making
Link to examples of lace displayed in the C&N museum
Link to Elizabeth Knight’s introduction to the ODHS lace-making pages
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‘Yon cottager, who weaves at her own door,
Pillow and bobbins all her little store;
Content though mean, and cheerful if not gay,
Shuffling her threads about the live-long day,’
From ‘Truth’
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