Flax Spinning Wheel; New York, 18th C.
date: label: Date made
content: 18th century
name: label: user
content: Shaw, Mary
notes: label: Description
content: This Saxony-style flax wheel is fashioned of wood, with small leather parts. It was probably made in the 18th century, possibly in Genoa, New York. Family records trace ownership of the wheel as far back as Mary Shaw, of Genoa, who was born in 1813. However, a study of the wheel's construction indicates it may have been made before Mary was born. Mary Shaw died in 1903. The wheel was given to the Museum by one of her descendants.
label: Description
content: Spinning is the simple act of drawing out a few fibers and twisting them together to form a yarn. The process predates written history, and was first done by hand and with sticks. Spinning wheels are believed to have originated in India between 500 and 1000 A.D. By the 13th century, they were seen in Europe, and were a standard piece of equipment for those making fiber into yarn. By the 17th century they were commonly found in homes in the colonies of North America, where the production of fabric was a cottage industry. Spinning was generally seen as a woman's job. Women spun yarn at home, as well as with friends at spinning bees, where food was served and prizes might be given to the person who produced the most or best yarn. The industrial revolution brought mechanization to the textile industry, and eventually spinning was done on large machines in textile mills.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: United States: New York
topic: label: Subject
content: Hand Tools
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
label: See more items in
content: Domestic Furnishings
label: See more items in
content: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. Laura E.C. Crow
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T15611
label: catalog number
content: T15611
label: accession number
content: 296917
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Spinning Wheel, Flax
label: Object Type
content: hand tools
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)