Is that a shuttle in her hand?

[wosny.livejournal.com]

I was reading a biography of Lewis Carroll last week and this photo of his Aunt Lucy made me wonder... Could she be tatting? I thought I'd ask you as you've been so knowledgable in the past. Probably dating from the 1860s or so, and posed because at that time photography was a very cumbersome and complicated business, I'd love to think it was, but my "ami" thinks she's just darning a sock!

Comments

[piroshki.livejournal.com]

Well, she's holding a shuttle in her right hand, the thread is hooked around her little fingers, and there's no sock in her left.

In addition to this, the lace around her hair is almost certainly tatted, and quite frequently during this time period a woman was photographed with something she was particularly well known for - her knitting, a sewing machine perhaps, or, in this case, a tatting shuttle.

You go, Aunt Lucy!

[wosny.livejournal.com]

I am glad you think so too, I didn't want to be carried away by my own enthusiasm. I haven't seen photos of people doing crafts such as knitting although I saw lots of old photos of lacemakers when I visited Le Puy last summer. I don't remember seeing a photo of a person tatting before...of another era, I mean.

[piroshki.livejournal.com]

Admittedly I have a slight advantage - I used to do lace restoration for several area museums, as well as teaching most types of lace making, including tatting and bobbin lace.

As to why your ami thinks she's darning a sock, also remind him that photography in the 1850s was horrendously expensive as well as being very inconvenient - those who could afford the process as well as the trip into town to the studio would have wanted to show themselves at their best. Darning was something done every day by men and women, rich and poor alike, but not all had the time or ability to tat.

I have seen period photographs with knitting or crocheting, though these art forms were considered "common" and thusly not often seen. It was more common to find a young woman with a bobbin-lace pillow, with a child sitting next to her knitting a sock. Or an older woman might be photographed with an intricately crocheted table cloth spread on a nearby table or over her lap.

Sewing machines, also, were convenient props at a photographer's studio. They were quite expensive at the time, and very heavy as well. A tailor might have one, and might have someone photograph him in his shop, but a woman would pose with the machine rather than at it. Often you will find them with the machine backwards - they'd never seen one, or if they had, certainly they'd not had much occasion to use one!

Most of the photographs I've seen of lace makers were Dutch or Belgique; you will find a lot of knotting, but little tatting, in British and Italian photography and portraiture. South American photography, when found, typically features crocheted items, and North American will have a lot of sewing machines, typically Willcox & Gibbs or Singer. When you can find them, African photography tends to feature white women (usually British) teaching hand-sewing or knitting to the natives, who may be sitting uncomfortably next to them, or more often crouching at their feet.

I realise, it's far more information than you ever wanted...apologies if it annoys!

[wosny.livejournal.com]

Not at all, I'm fascinated. I will look out for old photos with a new eye. I wondered if this photo had been taken by Lewis Carroll himself, as he was a keen photographer, and his Aunt came to look after his father's family after his mother died. It seemed possible, but then wasn't mentioned in the credits, so either the photographer wasn't known, or wasn't L.C.
I have to admit David was just being facetious, he felt I was making a bit of a fuss...he didn't really look at the photo.
I love your icon, I have always been puzzled as to how exactly sewing machines work!

[emmacrew.livejournal.com]

While I agree that she's almost certainly not darning, I can't actually make out a shuttle in her right hand.

[mshollie.livejournal.com]

Looks like a shuttle to me...you go, Aunt Lucy!

[moniqueleigh]

It does look possible, but I can't really tell if that's a shuttle in her hand or just a threaded needle. If we could find a larger version of it, perhaps we could tell for certain. :) Tatting was certainly quite popular at the time of the photograph, so it's very possible, but I've not found any reference (in an admittedly limited) search to Miss Lutwidge's being a tatter. Hrmm, will have to remember to look for that next time I get an opportunity to read any Carroll bios. :)

[wosny.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think piroshki has a point when she points out the position of the fingers...but all in all I have to conclude just "maybe".
The bio was by Morton N. Cohen and was published in USA, and I think the photo belongs to him...

[needledreams125.livejournal.com]

If it's tatting it could also be possible to be Needle Tatting, which was suppose to be popular before the shuttle. Or could be "knotting" that was also popular at that time and used a knotting shuttle.

Anyway, it's a very interesting picture!

[moniqueleigh]

I've heard that about needle tatting, but I've never seen any evidence for it. All of the old books (or reprints) I've seen that mention tatting are always about shuttle tatting. I've seen that sometimes they'll talk about a tatting needle, but if they have a picture, it's actually a shuttle!

My understanding is that a knotting shuttle is significantly bigger than a tatting shuttle. I'd imagine that would have been easier to identify in a picture like this one. *shrug* But I've never actually seen one myself, so.....

But, yes, it is very interesting! :D

[needledreams125.livejournal.com]

Hi Monique. If you have the Riego books you can see the needle tatting. It's not like the modern needle tatting (related to Barbara Foster) but using a needle as a shuttle.

On Riego's book 2 there are illustrations of this method. You can have the whole book for download from Georgia Seitz site.

http://www.georgiaseitz.com/public/publicindex.html

[moniqueleigh]

The Riego books are gorgeous! There's actually an older reference to tatting though. In 1843, The Ladies’ Handbook of MiIlinery, Dressmaking and Tatting supposedly (I haven't seen it myself) mentions a tatting "needle" and then shows a shuttle in the engraving.