THREADS ACROSS THE EMPIRE | How British and Indian taste, traditions, techniques and expertise intersected in the world of textiles with Dorothy Morgan

Both Britain and India had a long though quite different textile tradition when they first met and things began to merge. By looking at examples such as shawls, muslin, the tree of life and tambouring we will discover some of the benefits and drawbacks of Empire and the colonial experience.

DOROTHY MORGAN, honours history graduate of The University of Melbourne, was Guest Curator of both the exhibition FLOWERING NEEDLES: embroidery from Elizabeth to Victoria, (2010) and the house-museum tour FAIR HALL TO GLAD PARLOUR: The Flower, Its Beauty & Meaning in Art & Ornament (2011). She has lectured on Bess of Hardwicke (2010) and on the life of Mary Granville, Mrs Delany (2013). All have been for The Johnston Collection.

See also Dorothy Morgan’ other lecture FROM KEDLESTON TO CALCUTTA above.

detail, lower half of a long shawl with a deep border, floral style, circa 1850, private collection