A collection of lace classification, [ca. 1906] 1906

Here we see a page from "A Collection of Lace Classification" made around 1906 by Margaret Taylor Johnstone, an album now housed at the Met. This wasn't produced as a work of art, but it can tell us a great deal about the social and institutional history of art and craft at the turn of the century. What we see here is a highly organized and classified selection of lace samples, meticulously categorized, and annotated. The classification focuses on the place in which the lace was made, mainly Sicilian. In its time, the Arts and Crafts movement, along with a rising middle class with more leisure time, led to a renewed interest in traditional crafts, especially those made by women. Publications such as this one supported that trend, as there were many books teaching specific skills, but also those which, like this, focused on the history and classification of different types of craftwork. Resources such as pattern books and museum collections are excellent ways to learn more about the social and institutional context in which art is produced. Analyzing the social frameworks that enabled the production of art and craft is essential to fully understand its historical meaning.