Heritage and Conservation of Nottingham Lace through Collaboration

Abstract

Nottingham is both the birthplace and the global centre of the machine-made lace industry and is home to the Nationally Designated collection of machine-made lace and machinery. In 2017 Lace Unravelled was launched with the aim to conserve the collection and connect with local ‘industry mentors’ to learn more about its objects. This led to wider collaborations and the exhibition ‘Lace Unarchived’, held at Nottingham Trent University intended to reveal the legacy of the art school, established in 1843, and its impact on the generations of lace designers it educated. This paper proposes to explore the project’s achievements, what it revealed, and what it has meant for the interpretation and understanding of the collection, and wider understanding of ‘Nottingham Lace’.

Keywords

• Lace
• Nottingham
• industry
• heritage
• conservation