Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-01
INDIAN NEEDLE CRAFT.
Interesting Examples At tho Sewing School
EXPOSITION In New York.

sands. all of whom have expressed high
satisfaction at the beauty, variety ana
thoroughness of the display. at IT'S ar
tistic arrangement and it's wonderful IN
dustrial, historic and educational vaIue,
II has brought out many eminent names
and made the New, York public familiar
with the philanthropic Work 6, OF rr nuv,e
the wonderful development Of the GRAZ Graz.
is largely due to the efforts 81 Mh -
Eliza Lemonier. In Vienna, Nine; 81 81:
in London the Princess Christian IN LII, Ire
land. the Countess of Aberdeen, IN l.ai !;
Queen Margarita and the Countess u
Brazil in Germany the Prese'ii in Russia.
Nine Poghosky; in India. Lady Duh i n
in: in Iceland. Nine Magnnussen ana MT; IN
the United States M Hiss Eafnssrs ackett
Miss Dean. Miss Bucklin. Miss Ma TSnEoa
Mrs. Florence Cory. Miss Edith no brscy'
Miss Hourdequin, Miss AlIce r; no"iMvh Mr.
Woolman, Miss Laura A. Smith, Mis- Miss
Hopkins. Miss Parsons, Miss E; j. FoW,
Ter. Mrs. J. H. Craig. Miss i'll Me'ri Miss
Laura v. Davis and Miss Annie L. , Jes
sup. The list might be EXTENDED VIZ .hs
considerably as the example SET by the
pioneers in the movement, ilt,;a ma ,ond Of
ticiaI returns to the state department
from the diplomatic and consular ser1ics wee
show that the manual training school anu rn
needlecraft and needle art work nave re-
ceived attention not only in the countries
represented in the present exposition,
but also in Norway. Denmark F finland
Bulgaria a Ronmania. Bosnia, Austria.
the South American republics Austrai-
asia China, Siam and lndla.
In all of these instances philanthropy
has been the chief motive. in many the
sole motive. in others it has been rem
forced by patriotism and historical sen,
In both F,IrODeQ0 ana
Asiatic have been famous 1or me mar mar,
Vicious productions of the needles OF tnelr
women Thus: at one period a ID ihia rel
gard. and the dresses of Warsaw ana the
robes of Helsingfors We're noted for their
richness and beauty. In India there re, was h
tween the decorated tissues of Nepaul,
Bengal, Hyderabad, the Punjab and Six
him in this field.
In China are the great historic schools
of Canton. Foo Chow. Marking. Peking
and Moukden. In Italy. in the Middle
Ages there was much rivalry between the
gal the remnants Of Moorish art nave
been preserved with some. although not
excessive, care. In these lines the desire
has been to restore the old workman
from the success shown by the exhibits
in the great exposition now going on IN
this city there is no doubt but that al,
the undertakings will be triumphant, and
that ere another decade, has gone by the
convention or annual exposition of the
New York Association of sewing schools
will bring together evidences and eX-
amples of every needle school famous in
history.
1t is to be hoped that larger attempt
will be made to preserve the dying indus
tries of the American aborigineS. In
Maine many of the old families have col
lections of Indian needlework which is
as charming as it is interesting. The red
woman not alone had a we'll developed
ar nOSSpSSG1 nOetrN
and symbolism. In one piece OF work
may be seen the totem of her tribe elab-
GRATED with great skill and sometimes
with praiseworthy taste; in another the
Industrious little squaw must have been
musing upon the fishes which supplied
her with needles of fish bones. or the lit
tie animals whose integuments provided
her with threads, because on it are por-
trayed the forms of the various fishes she
knew, and of the little quadrupeds which
her hands had enSnared or her husbands
arrows had laid low.
In her work she had no science and no
factories to rely upon. She gathered the
extracted the colors wherewith to dye her
thread or her ornaments. She took the
quilts from the orson and the porcupine,
the plumage from birds. the irrides-
cent scales from fishes, and the fine fur
from quadrupeds. and with these simple
materials produced effects so beautiful
that they stand comparison with the pro-
auctions of the most talented art needle
women.
There are exhibits from our Indian
women at the present exhibition. and a
fine exhibit of laces made by the women
in Miss Sybil Carters schools for the
North American Indians.
These show the talent which inheres to
the red race. and which. when developed,
is equal in every respect to our own. Ii
is, therefore, all the more to be hoped
that our -philanthropic collectors will Sc
cure. ere it is too late. all available spec
linens of the workma nship of the wig
Wam and the reservation.
The exhibits from the colored schools
at the exposition speak exceedingly well of
both teachers and scholars. Before the
war. cOlOred SeamstresseS had achieved
very high reputation in the South, and
early. in this century two distinct ten
denotes had made themselves clearly
manlIest. The one was purely initiative.
and was best expressed in the colored
needleWomen of Louisiana, who had been
sisters who instruct in such matters.
They did what was called first-class Paris
ian work, and displayed a style and ell
egance in their workmanship which made
New Orleans quite famous in those days.
The other tendency was exhibited in
what we now call The Black Belt that
very favorable to the black. Here the
conditions conditions, of the African continent are
reproduced and the population grows
year. Its largest development is in Lou
lsiana. but 1t runs into Mississippi. Geor-
ga, +AThdHSdS, oOutil carolina ana Flor
ida.
The tendency is toward African taste
and involves the use of the brightest col
ors and of large chromatic surfaces The
one may be termed the style of the en-
broidered linen handkerchief and the 9TH
err the style of the bandana. At the pres
emit time the movement of which the Tus-
kegee Institute, represented by Mrs
Booker Washington, is the great expo
nent is teaching sewing in all its
branches. but follows the subdued taste
or the white race, and more especially
the French school.
This movement is carried on in several
hundred institutes and schools and turns
out many thousands of expert workers
every year. On the other hand those
who do not have these advantages gen
orally tend toward the other school, and
1t may be added even many of the grad
yates display and apply the rich but bar
barrie tastes.
This was noticeable in the remarkable
exhibition in the negro building at the
Atlanta Worlds Fair in 1896 and is no.
diceable, though not to great an ex-
tent IN the present successful exposition.
mere Is every reason why the black race
should have its own school of needle
craft. so far as color line and form are
concerned black or brown skin can
STAND STYLES of ornament which are rdic-
uious upon white-skinned peoples
any one who has seen an Egyptian
Soaice an Arab princess Singalese