New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-25
POINT And PILLOW LACE
Book NTH Descriptions and IIIustra-
tons of Lovely Work.

Of all decorative works Of srt lace Go nv 4s- +bs
most perishabie and the mors beautiful the Iaoe
the more delicate and easily DESTROYED Il sv
says Mary Sharp. in Point and Pillow Lace.
(E P. Dutton & Co, New-York and John Murray
London). Much has disappeared long ago.. vhe
continues. land IN the hands of ignorant ovn.rs
the little that has lasted till now ia In da11ar ~
being finally lost II. therefore what is ber.
written should attract the notice Of som. vcho
have taken but small care Of their frafl posssx-
sions and have without scruple given them over
to the tender mercies OF the dressmaker who outs
or the washerwonlan who tears. the writer viii
feel that she has not written in VAIN
The book in question is designed to enable The
owners Of lace. careless careful, as tho case
may be, to ascertain the true name and nature 81
any particular specimen To this end illustrations
are profusey used Verbal descriptions, the writer
says, are useless, as is well illustrated by the
hopeless iOundering of the great DR.. Johnson
among these mysteries. Who would imagine, for
instance. that by "a texture with ntersticial
vacuties" the learned photographer meant to in
dictate net" that anything reticuIated de-
cussated at equal distances, with intersdces be-
tween the Intersections was intended as defini-
There is a considerable amount of information
by the clumsy medium of words. The book begins
with chapter on these geaeIallues. the commonly
ignored distinction between point and pillow lace
being pointed out first of all.
Point lace, it seems. is lace made with needle
pillow lace is made on pillow with bobhns. In
needle point the solid parts are siways made Of
pillow lace the background is constructed in g.
6ersnt manner beng eompose ee6 OF
angles. Point lace is made throughout with Topped
threads. which is, in fact, weaving. Theoretically
the difference is simple; practically in the case of
very fine lace, II is always at first sight easy
of detection. except with masnifying glass
1 a6 6ne Gg 90 th ss auth oq as Might at rs
be supposed. Certain styles of lace We're invented
easily traced course OF development while certain
5--Sr Foeb YlIy n n
ago f as row and although travellers were fewer be
fore the dsys of railroads and steamboats, the
tries of Europe were by means isolated The rich
with one another No did the ladies of
Paris in the time Of Henry " adopt the nign r
soon as the pillow laces OF Genoa were admired
workers Of Flanders were quick in learning. 80
reproduce the style, in this case SO exactly that
their work and that Of the Italians Lacemaking
the 1I1e we're Of ali nationalities contributed to
the cosmopolitan character of the art:
Of lace is that these fragile works of art belong,
Ike music modern times dF99aR bs no }T see b mET
dred years. and Of such fine or open lace as can
more than hundred years old
Historic portraits furnish interesting PROOF or
ar; Inc IaG.eS Ta IiIe bea6dresses and IN
6G6en TFe At f he neck and Wrists Mary tudor
is represented with linen CTS snPr9Idsred' n5
her courtfers tufts and lace grow rampant
Lacemaking is not only an art of late inT9ntioR'
hut in its perfection Of short duration. 1T suf-
fered MUCH says Miss Sharp. from the rage for
suplicitv born Of the doctrines Of J. J. Rousseau
in the eighteenth century. and was practically eN-
tinguished by the troubles Of the French revolution
and BIZ the classical fashions of dress which sue
ceeded them under the Empire"
That there should be revival Of this beau
tiful art Miss Sharp regards improbable. Ov--
ine, to the increased cost Of labor, modern lace
commands very high prices. and when the genius
Of the inventor has 50 marvellously perfected the
achievements of steam machinery in laGemaking
ii is scarcely to be expected that any real or con
siderable revival Of the art should take place.
sAll the more she concludes, ''sInce the ex-
ousite work of former years is thus practically IL
replaceabl BILE, must value such OF 1t az has been
preserved us