England
The Block
On a background of English linen, Sally Blacker embroidered a colourful display of flowers found both wild in the fields and in traditional English cottage gardens which spills informally out of an appliquéd, gold-edged teapot. In customary English floral embroidery a bug is always hidden, hence the flickering blue butterfly hovering nearby. Bluebells, foxgloves, buttercups, wild roses, vetch and daisies are beautifully embroidered in varying shades of red, pink, purple, blue and yellow and are connected by cascading leaves in changing tones of green. English ivy, evoking memories of cottages, churches and schools delicately winds around the teapot’s handle to complete this image reminiscent of the English countryside.
Cultural Profile
England, home to Stonehenge (the most recognized pre-historic site in Europe) and Oxford (one of the world’s most famous university towns), was once a country of small, rural villages. At one time, the principal industry was the production of textiles and the English wool export trade developed into a cottage industry that became highly profitable. Unlike any other trade, it gave rise to hundreds of family names such as Shepherd (tended the sheep), Webber (wove the fabric) and Taylor (made wool into garments). Even today, the woolsack upon which Parliament’s Lord Chancellor sits is stuffed with English wool; it is a reminder of England’s traditional source of wealth and a symbol of prosperity. The role of textiles in English history does not stop there. At the outset of the Industrial Revolution, thread spinning was mechanized with the invention of the spinning jenny, the water frame and the spinning mule. Suddenly, thread was being produced faster than it could be woven by weavers. This imbalance was rectified when the power loom was invented in 1784. England’s impact on the history of textile production, already major, was thereby cemented and these machines changed the production of textiles forever.
English embroidery is also famous, with a history going back to Anglo-Saxon times. The shrine of St. Cuthbert in Durham Cathedral is said to house Anglo-Saxon embroidered pieces more than a thousand years old. During medieval times, English work, or Opus Anglicanuum, were highly sought-after. These embroidered pieces often used gold and silver threads on velvet or linen grounds to create religious and secular garments. Renowned across Europe, these were made by men organized in workshops in the London area. After the Reformation, women started to develop their own techniques to embroider clothes and domestic items, developing various styles such as blackwork, stumpwork, crewel work, Jacobean embroidery, smocking, or Berlin work. Curiously, the world-famous Broderie Anglaise does not originate in England, but rather came from Eastern Europe. The style got its name from the fact that it was extremely popular in England in the 19th century. The Royal School of Needlework was founded in 1872 by Princess Christian, daughter of Queen Victoria. To this day it remains a leading institution in the art of hand embroidery, training its students to some of the highest standards in the world.
England also has a long history of lacemaking. Bobbin lace styles including Honiton, Bucks Point, Bedfordshire and Torchon styles, and Hollie Point needle lace are all said to originate in England. The country was also a pioneer in the development of machine-made lace during the nineteenth century. While lace was once reserved for the elite society, the development of machine-made lace made it available to all.
England has made a formidable contribution to the literary world (Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dickens, for example,) and is well known for its choirs, theatre and architecture. Its popular music has also played a major role on an international level, with groups like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Radiohead or Coldplay being famous in all corners of the world.
The English came to Canada as explorers in the 1500s but the first settlement was not established until 1611, in Newfoundland. A large number of immigrants from all backgrounds came following the American Revolution and the steady flow has continued into the 21st century.
Canada, a former British colony and still a member of the Commonwealth, has been greatly influenced by England in almost every aspect of life, the most obvious of which is the use of English as an official language. This nation was largely built on the English Common Law and English customs, and by forming such a dominant proportion of the population, the English have helped mold the Canadian character. They continue to be deeply involved in many areas of Canadian culture including business, politics, education, the arts, medicine and science.
Sponsor: John and Susan Towndrow, in memoriam Pearl Irene Unwin