Customer Reviews

English Embroidery

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This is probably more of a 3.5 star book than a 3 star book, and certainly not a 1 star book. While it is true that there are many redrawings and no photographs in the 1960 edition of this book, there are 15 black and white and 4 color photographs in the 1974 edition.

The subjects of the photographs range in time period from the 14th through the 20th centuries, with the largest number being from the 17th and 18th centuries. Snook does a good job of showing the wide variety of ecclesiastical and secular uses that embroidery was put to in England. And her explanation and illustration of the difference between surface and underside couching was the first clear written explanation I was able to find.

Someone doing research on the topic of the history of embroidery will find this to be a useful starting point. Someone looking for good photographs or detailed descriptions to reconstruct historical pieces from will perhaps get a few ideas for projects and sources to follow up on; but this book is intended as a survey, rather than be-all and end-all of historical embroidery books.

Not recommended. No photographs of original embroideries (other than photograph on front of softcover edition). Many redrawings, which vary in fidelity to the original. At least one stitch diagram is so sloppy as to misrepresent the stitch. If you can find any other book on the subject, don't waste your money on this one.