Thread Collection

Bookbinding Tools 1875
Various tools used in bookbinding, including a pair of compasses, a mallet, presses, a knife, a set square, needle and thread, and a gouge

Singer sewing machine ad, 1890s
Advertisement for the Singer Automatic sewing machine, 1890s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

Various shoemaking tools
Various tools used by a shoemaker or cobbler, including scissors, pliers, hammers, a skewer, a ruler and strong thread

Tailoring tools
Tools used in tailoring, including scissors, needle and thread, chalk, measuring tape, a ruler and a smoothing iron

Welsh woman with spinning wheel, Wales
Welsh woman outside a cottage with a spinning wheel, Wales. Date: late 19th century

How Navajo Indian Rugs are made - USA Date: circa 1930s

Traditional lace making, Le Puy en Velay, Haute-Loire, France, Europe

Traditional lace making, Le Puy en Velay, Haute-Loire, France, Europe

Factory at Paisley
Bird s-eye view of Messrs J and J Clarks Anchor Thread works at Paisley, 11 km west of Glasgow, Scotland. They are still Britains leading threadmakers

France, Auvergne Region, Haute-Loire Department. Since the 15th Century, Le Puy en Velay has been the historic center of handmade lacemaking in France

Woman spinning - India
Woman spinning on a traditional hand-made wheel, India

Piazza Erminio Ferretto, formerly, Piazza Umberto I, Mestre, Venice Venice Mestre, Piazza Erminio Ferretto. Date of Photograph:1935 ca

First sewing machine, 1846
Elias Howes sewing machine, 1846. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

3671376

Blouse made from a silk escape map, 1940s. Creator: Unknown
Blouse made from a silk escape map, 1940s. During World War II many materials were unavailable to the public because of government rationing

Nivose (December / January), fourth month of the Republican Calendar, engraved by Tresca, c
XIR82286 Nivose (December/January), fourth month of the Republican Calendar, engraved by Tresca, c.1794 (coloured engraving) by Lafitte, Louis (1770-1828) (after); Musee de la Ville de Paris

Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church, Paisley, Scotland. A gift to the town by Coats, a Thread Manufacturers. Date: 1908

Busts of seven principal heroes of the Trojan War. From left to right: Menelaus, Paris, Diomedes, Ulysses, Nestor, Achilles and Agamemnon. Sette principali Eroi della Guerra Trojana

Nettlefolds patent pointed screws, from Verity Electrical Supplies, Aston, Birmingham. 1903

Portrait of a Woman, 1630. Creator: Nicolaes Eliasz Pickenoy
Portrait of a Woman, 1630

The Story of Theseus, mid-15th century. Artist: Master of the Cassoni
The Story of Theseus, mid-15th century. Theseus lands on Crete from Athens and sets out to kill the Minotaur, the bull-headed monster which King Minos has had imprisoned in the labyrinth built by

The Improved Ladys Own Sewing Machine by Leigh & Crawford, Brooke Street, Holborn, London EC. 19th century

Faroe Islands, Denmark - Women Spinning
A woman working at a spinning wheel with two companions - The Faroe Islands, Denmark

Mending the Baseball, (oil on canvas)
650883 Mending the Baseball, (oil on canvas) by Witkowski, Karl (1860-1910); 61.3x46 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Mending the Baseball. Karl Witkowski (1860-1910). Oil on canvas

The Dacca Twist Companys Sewing Cotton, Manchester
Advertising showcard, The Dacca Twist Companys Sewing Cotton, Manchester. Date: circa 1900

Cotton Spinning I: Development of Spinning Machinery (engraving)
XJF311273 Cotton Spinning I: Development of Spinning Machinery (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: 1. Indian Spinning-Wheel, 2. Saxony Spinning-Wheel, 3)

THREAD TRADE CARD, c1880. Willimantic Thread. American merchants trade card, c1880

Mending Day, by Ethel Parkinson. A little Dutch girl sits mending a little boys breeches, while he stands uncomfortably with a towel round his waist

Woman winding up thread at weaving workshop on Lake Inle, Nyaungshwe Township, Taunggyi District, Shan State, Myanmar

Silk thread for weaving, Ock Pop Tok weaving centre, Luang Prabang, Laos

A diagram of Arkwright's water frame
5310187 A diagram of Arkwright's water frame; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a diagram Richard Arkwright's water frame)

The method of making nets for hunting and fishing
5310025 The method of making nets for hunting and fishing; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the method of making nets for hunting and fishing. Flat rule (a) called pin on which mesh is formed

Postcard collage with the image of woman, string and sealing wax stamp, "Album para Tarjetas postales"
3560999 Postcard collage with the image of woman, string and sealing wax stamp, "Album para Tarjetas postales"; (add.info.: Madrid, Spain 1910 ca)

Threads of Dutch linen 1 and gold 2 magnified under a microscope. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's
FLO4574760 Threads of Dutch linen 1 and gold 2 magnified under a microscope. Handcoloured copperplate engraving from Bertuch's " Bilderbuch fur Kinder" (Picture Book for Children)

The spinning of Oakum threads, 1850
3359231 The spinning of Oakum threads, 1850; (add.info.: Illustration depicting the spinning of Oakum threads for caulking ships. Dated 19th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Small girl minding the spools to see that all runs smoothly on machine winding cotton thread on bobbins for use in
531852 Small girl minding the spools to see that all runs smoothly on machine winding cotton thread on bobbins for use in making Nottingham machine lace

Spinner in bonnet and apron spinning wool yarn on a spinning machine. Handcoloured woodcut engraving from The Book of
FLO4577721 Spinner in bonnet and apron spinning wool yarn on a spinning machine. Handcoloured woodcut engraving from The Book of English Trades and Library of the Useful Arts.; (add.info)

An engraving depicting a 'Utility' Embroiderer. This machine has two needles
5311065 An engraving depicting a 'Utility' Embroiderer. This machine has two needles, and the threads passed through a pair of reciprocating guides

The manufacture of rope, 1850
3479074 The manufacture of rope, 1850; (add.info.: The manufacture of rope: reeling strands of hemp produced in the spinning walk ready for use in the 'laying' walk where they would be)

Hoddart's machinery for making rope, 1850
3479073 Hoddart's machinery for making rope, 1850; (add.info.: Hoddart's machinery for making rope. The hemp yarn was put on to bobbins)

The doubling room, 1851
3479211 The doubling room, 1851; (add.info.: The doubling room, Dead Mills, near Bolton. In this room, which contained 70,000 spindles)

Silk spinning machine, 1843
3480176 Silk spinning machine, 1843; (add.info.: Silk spinning machine: in this process the threads from the cocoons were joined into a continuous thread: Lombe's silk mill, Derby)

Diagram of Arkwright's water frame, 1878
3480203 Diagram of Arkwright's water frame, 1878; (add.info.: Diagram of Arkwright's water frame, 1878. The water frame is the name given to a water-powered spinning frame which was an easy)

Archimedean Screws for raising water from one level to another. The 'thread' could be either external
530342 Archimedean Screws for raising water from one level to another. The 'thread' could be either external (as in Fig. 3), or the more conventional internal spiral in Fig. 2

Cableway of the Liconi mine, Cogne, Valle D'Aosta
3563060 Cableway of the Liconi mine, Cogne, Valle D'Aosta; (add.info.: Cogne 1915 ca. Photographer: Fot. Dall'Armi, Torino); Alinari Archives, Florence.

A woodcut depicting a simple compass in the shape of a fish. The loadstone is suspended on a thread, 17th century
5311527 A woodcut depicting a simple compass in the shape of a fish. The loadstone is suspended on a thread, 17th century; Universal History Archive/UIG.

An engraving depicting the drilling of needle eyes: in this operation, the punched eye was drilled smooth so that it
5311326 An engraving depicting the drilling of needle eyes: in this operation, the punched eye was drilled smooth so that it did not cut the thread

Cartoon depicting an old lady having difficulty threading a sewing needle, 19th century
5308811 Cartoon depicting an old lady having difficulty threading a sewing needle, 19th century; (add.info.: Cartoon depicting an old lady having difficulty threading a sewing needle)

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"From Bookbinding Tools to Sewing Machines: A Thread Through Time" Step into the past and unravel the fascinating history of thread. 📚✂️ In 1875, bookbinding tools meticulously weaved together pages, their delicate threads binding knowledge for generations to come. Fast forward to the 1890s when Singer sewing machines revolutionized the textile industry. An ad from that era showcases how thread became an essential companion in every seamstress's journey. Not only limited to fabrics, various shoemaking tools also relied on this fine strand. Each stitch held shoes together with precision and durability. Traveling across continents, a Welsh woman gracefully spun thread using her spinning wheel in Wales. Her skillful hands transformed raw material into yarn, ready for weaving tales of tradition and heritage. Tailoring tools further exemplified the importance as they shaped garments with meticulous attention to detail. Every stitch told a story of craftsmanship and style. Venturing into Native American culture, witness how Navajo Indian Rugs were crafted in the USA. Intricate patterns emerged through skilled hands intertwining vibrant threads—each rug carrying centuries-old traditions within its fibers. Across oceans lies Paisley's factory—a hub where threads intertwined seamlessly like a symphony conducted by master craftsmen since time immemorial. Le Puy en Velay in France is renowned for traditional lace making since the 15th century. Here, nimble fingers wove intricate designs with delicate threads—a testament to human creativity and patience. Thread transcends borders; it unites cultures worldwide. In India, women spin golden strands on ancient spindles—creating not just fabric but connecting generations through their craftmanship. Returning once again to Le Puy en Velay in Haute-Loire, France—the birthplace of traditional lace making—we witness artisans breathing life into exquisite patterns using nothing but needle and thread—an art form cherished throughout Europe for centuries.