Members of the Society met last Saturday at Walsall Museum, and were treated to some wonderful treasures. We got our hands on a Modernist evening shawl from Sheila S's collection, and Irene took us back to the days of the Raj with a beautiful ivory necklace of miniature elephants. It was the royal-blue robe that Sheila C. bought to share with us that really stole the show. I asked Sheila to provide us with the story of this beautiful garment.
"You kindly asked me to put down a few notes about Miss Eva Holt the owner of the blue dressing gown embroidered with lupins I brought along for the Show and Tell
Alas I do not have a photo of Miss Holt.
Eva Holt lived in the North Wales sea side resort of Penhryn Bay. A maiden lady, she kept house for her father who had his own company making fine furniture. She died in 1984 and my parent-in-law bought her house the following year. The house had not been totally emptied and there were a number of her belongings that gave a taste of her life. There was a Visitors Guide to Penhryn Bay- published sometime in the 1930's with a photograph of the North Wales Banjo Band , based in Penhryn Bay. Miss Holt was their pianist. I love to think of them entertaining the visitors in the Bandstand or in one of the local hotels. She was a very severe looking lady with little round glasses.
Also among her possessions were the brochures, daily programmes and menus of a number of cruises she went on , mainly on the Lancastria . The Lancastria was sunk early in the war and thousands of troops were drowned.
Although she looked severe in her photo I feel she was a lady who enjoyed life and her splendid dressing gown surely proves this."
Sheila Clarke
member
WMCT Soc.
Not only does Sheila have Miss Holt's robe, she also has the roll of silks to go with the embroidery! Similar designs may be found in books of the 1920s and 30s, when there was a fashion for working flower-borders on clothing, accessories and household linens. These books despite their age can be found and picked up quite cheaply. There are a lot of them about, and they were cheaply bound in cardboard so are generally pretty shabby. This cover amuses me.... is he about to shout 'Boo!', plant a kiss on her cheek, - or strangle her?
At the meeting the date and line-up of lectures and workshops planned for our 1940s study day, 'The War-time Woman', was also confirmed. Keep visiting for news and updates!
