The illustrated exhibitor: a tribute to the world's industrial jubilee (London, 1851)

35

THE ILLUSTRATED EXHIBITOR.

The engravings shown in
this page are selected from
the heautiful Muslin Work
exhibited by Messrs. Hugh
Brown and Co., Virginia-
place, Glasgow. All the
work in this case is of the
best possible description, and
the drawings of the designs
will show that some of the
patterns are eminently beau-
tiful. Like most of the
embroidery on muslin ex-
hibited in the British portion
of the Exhibition, it is the
work of the peasantry of
Scotland and Ireland. Ayr-
shire and the adjacent coun-
ties were, indeed, celebrated
for the excellence of the
needlework performed by the
poorer classes some time be-
fore that source of employ-
ment was open to the Irish.
At present, as we have before
remarked) not less than
500,000 females in the two
countries are employed in
this one branch of com-
merce.

To turn from the exhibi-
tion of large firms to that of
private and individual in-
dustry, we must notice, in
this department, a very
handsome hearthrug,
of large dimensions,
worked by Miss Flower,
of Duke-street, Man-
chester-square. It ex-
hibits the national flags
of Prussia, Sweden, the
Netherlands, China,
Brazil, Greece, Eng-
land, Turkey, Russia,
Bremen, and Austria,
on the left hand ; and
on the other side we
see those of Denmark,
Rome, France, Tripoli,
America, Spain, Lucca,
Portugal, Belgium,
Norway, and Poland.
In the centre is a mag-
nificent star, encircled
by the garter, with the
royal motto of Eng-
land, and surmounted
by the crown.

This enumeration of
the objects represented
will give some notion
of the labour this
hearthrug must have
cost, and yet more of
the skill and taste re-
quired in the design.
It is worked on rather
coarse canvass, the
ground being in light
green wool. All the
banners are worked in
silks, the garter in
chenille, and the motto
(which is seen twice in
centre) in floss silk. The

Jfeutanrlt m tire Cqstrtl $ate.

stars are very brilliant, beine
worked in glass and steel
beads, similar to those used
for purses, but of a much
larger size.

We embrace this occasion
of introducing to our readers
the pattern of a handsome
Table D'Oyley, in lmen
damask, from the establish-
ment of Mr. Andrews, Bel-
fast, Ireland. It is replete
with taste and the most deli-
cate ornamentation.

Mrs. Anne Ward, of Cole-
raine, Ireland, exhibits some
extremely ingenious speci-
mens of needle-work in the
south-west gallery. They are
exact and pretty imitations
of line engravings, produced
in cotton and silk on a back
composed of lute-string or
linen. The specimen we
have selected is the first at-
tempt to pourtray this great
natural curiosity in needle-
work. Those persons who
are familiar with its romantic
scenery will readily recog-
nise the columns called the
'« Loom, " the " Stockin
Hills," &e.; and those who
have not seen it will form,
perhaps, a better idea
of its basaltic formation
than they could from an
engraving or drawing,
the outline in the work
being uneven, like its
great original, the real
rocks and bold head-
lands of the Giant's
Causeway. It is alto-
gether Irish in design
and execution, being
worked in Ireland by
Irish fingers on Irish
linen. The original
sketch was taken by an
Irish lady, and the en-
k graving brought out by
an Irish publisher; the
frame is also made of
Irish oak, which once
formed part of an old
church in the vicinity.
mm The print has been fre-
m quently compared with
the original, and is
strictly correct. The
only alteration made has
been in the foreground,
where the rocks were
too regularly placed—
not as if scattered about
when they fell from the
cliff. The costumes of
the figures have also
been modernised, and
two barefooted ragged
boys introduced, , as
without such an Irish
scene would scarcely be
correct.

CHEMISETTE AND LACE DRESS.5- MESSRS. BROWN, GLASGOW.