Illustration: Embroidered alphabet, 1869.
Lettering and text have been used for centuries in the craft of embroidery. Sometimes it has been used in a relatively minor way, while at other times it has been at the centre of an embroidered piece, even to the point of defining a composition. Written language in a textile format can often date a piece of work and its maker by the sentiment of the message, but also by the style and construction of the individual letters that make up the message.
All of the alphabets shown in this article come from a period ranging from 1858 to 1869 and although, by embroidery standards, this is a very small moment in time, it does help to show that even though limited to a decade in time, the embroidered alphabets cover a significantly large range of individual styles and motifs. All of the examples are derived from popular women's magazines of the period, many of which regularly contained embroidery designs either to be used as the individual embroiderer chose, or for specific items such as handkerchief corners, baby bonnets, general clothing and domestic items which could entail anything from a cigar case to a glove box.
Illustration: Embroidered alphabet, 1858.
The nineteenth century was a particularly expansive era for the domestic embroiderer. The number of booklets and magazines either entirely or partially devoted to embroidery decoration multiplied as the century progressed. This in turn meant that everything that could be embroidered was, and the impression is given sometimes that if it didn't move it was embroidered. Part of the purpose of embroidered alphabets, though not the only one was to individually personalise items. Therefore jewellery boxes, spectacle cases, book marks, purses, handkerchiefs and the like could be embroidered with the name of the individual and then given as a gift. However, embroidered lettering also had the more practical purpose of identifying items that would otherwise have been seen as blank boxes. Therefore, lettering was used to differentiate a glove box from a cigar box for example.
Another significant purpose for embroidered alphabets was in its use as framed quotes for the domestic home. Some of these took the form of relatively stern reminders of the moral parameters that should be followed, many having a religious origin; others were much more prosaic and took the form of the near universal Home Sweet Home. However, there was also a tendency to use more profound language, often from a poetical origin and many of the nineteenth century's poets were immortalised in domestic parlours through the use of embroidery.
Illustration: Embroidered alphabet, 1861.
Although much of the usage of embroidered lettering in a domestic environment probably seems relatively redundant to us, it was an important part of the embroidery craft. The early twentieth century saw this trend continue, and if anything, expand. Art Nouveau lettering which encompassed anything from the distinctive alphabets used by the Glasgow Style, to the more elaborate flowing rhythms of France and Belgium, were used for permanent book and magazine covers, cushions, bags, chair backs, curtains, firescreens, tablecovers, cards, hangings, purses, tea and coffee cosys, blotter covers, bedspreads, pillows, portieres, tablemats, towels and so many others.
The very breadth and staggering versatility of the embroidery craft during this period could give the distinct impression that a certain class of woman had an awful lot of free time, either voluntarily or, as we would suspect, enforced. That much of this domestic embroidery disappeared after the First World War can be put down, to a certain extent, to the changing domestic interior fashions set by the change in Europe and North America from the 1920s onwards. However, there is also the case that many women began to change their circumstances from this period onwards and were less inclined to be seen as idealised domestic goddesses, a role which could well be seen as a form of forced seclusion, a literal exclusion from the contemporary world. This more active role in the community and in society in general obviously left less time to embroider the letters G-L-O-V-E on a glove box and more time to learn the Charleston.
Illustration: Embroidered alphabet, 1861.
This is not to belittle the skill of embroidered alphabets. There are so many distinct variations, many of which were supplied by the publications of the period. However, individual lettering was also produced by women through their own creativity, either copying and interpreting lettering and fonts from other sources such as medieval manuscripts, or producing their own style and technique. It should never be presumed that women across the generations, despite the fact of often having little if any personal freedom, were also incapable of creative and individual expression. They may well have had imposed limitations placed on them, but the outward creative expression of the individual is perhaps stronger than the imposed state they find themselves in. However, it could also be seen in another light entirely, with embroidered domestic work from this period representing a level of frustration and hopelessly unfulfilled ambition that is heart-breaking. An embroidered handkerchief corner could easily be seen as an indictment of the wasted generations of women and their forced passive and non-participatory role in life. Both are relevant and both have merit.
Illustration: Embroidered alphabet, 1862.
Women have often had to make the best of a bad situation, often through practical necessity. By using embroidery to form some framework of independent identity, no matter how seemingly small and insignificant to our own contemporary world, individuals have tried to make their mark on the world and have their life remembered through craft.
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