Talk by Elena Kanagy-Loux at London Lace Club

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We are excited to present a very special edition of London Lace Club. Lacemaker and textile historian, Elena Kanagy-Loux, of the Brooklyn Lace Guild will be doing a talk on Lacemaking in the Americas ; Scholarship on the history of lace has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years, yet some historians continue to be dismissive of lace produced and worn outside of Europe as of insignificant quality to be worthy of study. This narrow focus belies the fact that centuries-old elaborate openwork textiles have been found from Andes to the Northern Plains, as human beings around the globe have exhibited an inherent desire to adorn their bodies for millennia. Bobbin lace was introduced via Spanish, Portuguese, French, and English colonization of the Americas as early as the seventeenth century, and in regions such as Ceara, Brazil and Ipswich, Massachusetts, lacemaking has taken root over centuries, becoming a celebrated part of local heritage. This lecture will expand on the definition and framework of lace and survey its history in the Americas, from interlaced garments of the Southwestern United States to Caribbean lacebark accessories. Please join us for the talk and do bring along your lacemaking equipment and project to work on if you so wish! Suggested donation is £5. Ticket link