Victorian Fancywork

Victorian Fancywork

The popular Sunday Series continues at the Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery on Sunday, August 10th at 2:00 pm with a free public presentation entitled "More is More: Victorian Fancywork and Household Elegancies." This event is offered in conjunction with the current exhibition The Urge to Embellish, on view through September 26, 2008.

In the last half of the 19th century, "proper" American homes became showrooms for hand-made ornamental objects that by today's standards of interior decoration are curious, foreign and obsessive. Portieres, lambrequins and antimacassars were commonplace in parlors, and objects made from feathers, seeds and even human hair garnered admiration. Jim Zimmer, exhibition curator and Lockport Gallery Director, delves into this period by examining the underlying causes and influences for the proliferation of American "home arts" and shares the diverse manifestation of Victorian fancywork and house-hold elegancies.

One facet Zimmer will explore is how needlework played a significant role in the lives of Victorian "ladies." It provided a means to embellish their environment, showcase the acquired skills coveted by peers, and enhance their reputation as moral role models for the family by eliminating idle hands "known" to be the devil's workshop. In his presentation, Zimmer will explore the many spectacular variants of Victorian needlework, including a fascinating piano cover currently on display at the museum. This large object created between 1890 and 1892 by two young, enterprising women from Illinois features an embroidered map of the United States and bears witness to the Victorian obsession for embellishment by creating an ornamental covering for an already ornate piece of furniture. The piano cover also has historical significance in its use of fabric swatches solicited from all the U.S. governors' wives.

Victorian fancywork, however, was not the sole province of women. Also in the exhibition-and a topic of Zimmer's discussion-is an 1883 example of intricate wooden fretwork popular during the era. Frederick William Risser skillfully cut thin holly wood with a foot-powered scroll saw, creating an elaborate rendition of "The Lord's Prayer" in pierced wood which he presented to his parents.

Jim Zimmer has often lectured on the history of needlework and its reflection of society and traditions, drawing upon his extensive research and personal and professional interests in the subject. Previous lectures include "Challenging Tradition: Men and the Needle Arts," first presented at ISM Lockport Gallery, and "Joining the Threads," a discussion of the historical roots of crochet and changing attitudes towards the craft.

The Urge to Embellish includes an eclectic array of new acquisitions and rarely-seen works from the Illinois State Museum Collection, many of which were made by non-professional artists. The nearly 100 objects reveal how embellishment has been guided by experimentation, learned behavior, social expectations, and traditions. Included are commemorative, ceremonial, decorative, functional, and whimsical objects spanning two centuries. Many date from the mid- to late-nineteenth century when the idiom of effusive ornamentation reached its zenith and pervaded the visual aesthetics of material culture. The exhibition is comprised of 2- and 3- dimensional pieces constructed with beads, ceramics, feathers, fibers, hair, metal, paint, papier-mâché, porcupine quills, wood, and other materials.

The Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery is located on the first floor of the historic Norton Building at 201 West 10th Street in Lockport and is fully accessible to all physically challenged individuals. Museum hours are noon until 5:00 pm on Sunday and 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The Museum is closed Saturdays and State Holidays. Admission is free. For information on exhibitions and related programs, becoming a member of the Friends of the Lockport Gallery, directions to the museum, or to schedule a group tour of ten or more, please contact museum staff at (815) 838-7400 or visit the museum online at https://www.museum.state.il.us/ismsites/lockport/. 

General Information

Illinois State Museum
Founded 1877
The Illinois State Museum promotes discovery, learning, and an appreciation of Illinois' natural, cultural, and artistic heritage.
General Information: (217)782-7386
Director's Office: (217)782-7011
Interim Museum Director: Michael Wiant
Press Contact: michael.wiant@illinois.gov