The Indianapolis journal., 1903-09-27
AMERICAN LACE MAKERS
ENTERPRIsING BOSTON WoMAN's
WORK AMONG FACTORY GIRLS.
The Only Makers of Fine Lace in
Amerfca-How Their Instructor
Learned the Art.
York Evening Post.

cording 10 their announcement. '1aces OF
the choicest quality and design are made
10 order, and old Iaces are skillfuily
cIeansed, repaired. remodeled and dupli-
Gated"
The story of the establishment of this
lace industry is inseparable from the name
OF its prime mover. Mrs. Z. j. Weber.
member OF the Boston Society OF Arts and
Crafts Mrs, Weber had been a student in
the department. of design in the school of the
Boston Museum of Fine Arts. an institution
which boasts an unusually fine collection
Of iaces and textiles. From the first, Mrs.
Weber was strongly attracted to the
study of lace work, and made herself fa-
miliar with the literature of the subject in
French, Italian and German, as well as
English. her reading being accompanied by
close study OF examples OF lace in the
museum
From theoretical study Mrs. Weber pro-
ceeded TO experiment, cutting up many dol
lars worth OF valuable lace to see how the
threads were twisted and the pattern was
worked out. and trying to initiate the va
rious stitches.
Pillow lace in its coarser form, the torch
on OF commerce, is made by scores OF
Italian women in the native quarters OF
most Eastern cities. Mrs. Weber was for
tunate enough to find one Of these women
who had considered ole skill, and whose in
telligence was above that OF her associates.
From this woman Mrs. Weber took her first
and only lessons in the art. Three lessons
were sufficient to give her a working knowl-
edge OF the art OF managing the numerous
bobbins and pins by which pillow lace is
evolved Her theoretical knowledge served
her in suS1 good stead that she soon be-
came an expert n the simpler forms. and
from that progressed to fine pillow lace and
point. which is made entirely with the
needle and calls for the greatest skill.
THE FIRST EXHIBITION.
Her first serious work was exhibited at
the Society OF Arts and Crafts, and almost
Immediately it was suggested that lace
making as a local industry was worth try
ing. The cooperation of Miss wilmington,
head OF the settlement OF the Wcmens
Branch OF South End House, was next Sc
cured. A limited number of girls were Sc
lected by her for the first experiment These
girls. taken out Of hard lives in shops and
factories, were gathered together i'm a class
10 receive instruction from Mrs. Weber, a
part OF the handicraft shop in Somerset
street being set apart for workroom- One
or the settlement workers was included in
the class, that she might be used as an as
sistant teacher should IL be found possible
TO establish the Industry on a permanent
basis.
The first experiments were made with the
coarser laces, torchon, which Is simply the
french generic name by which the common
pillow laces used on household and per-
sonal linens are known. Economically this
was soon proved a failure. for. under the
trade conditions which obtain in this coun-
try, hve or six dollars worth of time was
required 10 make half those values In lace
made, II was decided. Accordingly, all save
those whose aptitude for the work had been
proved were dropped and the remaining
few were instructed in the higher mysteries
OF the art.
There were many dificulties The fine
thread necessary in the work not being
called for In this country, none had ever
been imported. This, as we'll as bobbins
and the long. slender pins used in the cush-
England and Italy. The class. however,
made satisfactory progress, and at the pres
ent time form an enthusiastic little band Of
srtist-artisans. and. as far as known, the
only lacemakers in America who practice
the art I'm its most elaborate aspects. They
are n mere handful-hardly a dozen in ALL
about half the number being classed as
veritable artists All keenly interested
in their work and eager to progress. They
have read with interest all the lace litera-
ture obtainable in the Boston Public Lii
brary. The transition of these girls from
dreary shop and factory workers 10 expert
craftswomen In one of the most beautiful
arts the world has ever evolved is notable
In more ways than one.
THE CALL FOR CREATIVE WORK
The call for creative work is undoubtedly
growing in this country and while lace
making. rare the skill and patience re-
quired 10 excel in il is known TO be- is
not greatly remunerative. still it is one of
the pieasantest of crafts. and in certain as
poets one of the most suitable for women ia
engage in. since it does not necessarily in
terfere altogether with domestic life. The
objection that II is hard on the eyes need
not be counted against it IN America. In
the old wcrld much OF 1t is done in dark
cellars, gloomy, narrow streets and ar
night by scanty lamplight.
One feature OF the work and its possbili-
ties in this country Is revealed In the Bos-
ton experiment. There is a great deal OF
precious old lace owned here much of il
worn or damaged. The demand for its
be larger If the means for meeting il were
at hand. The only thing TO do with dam
aged lace at the present time is to send il
10 Europe. in which case It must be care
fully registered on this side in order to
avoid customs duties on its return. The
risk in transit il always to be considered.
and the delay in getting IL back IS always
vexatious, owing TO the notoriously dilatory
habits of the European workers Mrs
Weber mas nad Quantities or nne lace sent
her for restoration, fun OF holes and rents
dlscolored. and seemingly In hopeless form
These pieces have been repaired under her
direction so skillfuly that the closest
scrutiny fails TO reveal any of the old rents
In this sort OF work alone there seems to
be a field quite unoccupied as yet on this
side and one which will probably never be
overcrowded. The prices paid for such
skillful work are. of course. LIBERAL
THE EUROPEAN WORKERS.
The duties on real laces are very high.
they being quite rightly classed as luxuries.
makers will be able to realize more for their
iabors than do the European workers.
These women and girls work under difficul-
ties. They are almost invariably untaught
I artisticslly and have no better intelligence
than TO forsake the old patterns for the
sake OF novelty. and even TO initiate
hideous machine-made laces which they
conceive 10 be up 10 date. Their work in
many sections shows deterioration. unless
they are fortunate enough to do IL under
the guidance OF some intelligent patroness
There are a number OF nobIewomen and
other persons OF education and refinement
who devote a great deal Of time to the i'm
provement OF the lace makers OF their dis
tricts- Many American women living in
Europe are among these. one notable figure
being the wife OF artist Mrs Walter
Brown, who has established q cooperative
factory In the province OF Venice where
abe personally directs hundreds OF girls and
attends 10 the marketing OF their work.
IL is only under such intelligent and de-
voted management that lece making can be
N a1rf