Not currently on display at the V&A

Sample

1920s (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

68 samples of fringe trimmings in wool-cotton with ruche edging. The samples and labels describing them are stuck to a green cloth intended to hang in display. They are headed 'EQUAL TO LEE FABRICS IN QUALITY' and are arranged in two columns, with order number to either side or in individual labels.

The top 48 samples are in groups of four, presenting four types of trimmings in twelve colour ways. At the top of each block of four is a ruche identified by the letter 'S', a heavily looped shallow fringe. Below is Ruche type 'W', with short looped pile covering a very fat cord. Then there is a braid with a 'plaited' centre, letter 'K'. Finally a cord, letter 'H'. These are in worsted with a little mercerised cotton. Colour ways are indicated by a number: at the left from the top to bottom '51', '52', '57', '58', '59', '56', and at the right '60', '62', '61', '54', '55', '53'.

There follows a label which reads: 'These samples represent further types of trimmings, all of which are being made to match the twelve colours of ruche, etc., shown above'.

The next twelve samples are individually labelled.
On the left:

'Two Tier Tassel Fringe. Worsted Quality. Range 51', a fringe with a blue heading from which hang alternate medium sized and large tassels on two levels in mixed colours.

'Tassel Fringe. 'Minor' Worsted Quality. Range 51', a smaller heading with small multicolour tassels alternating with short loops of worsted.

'2-inch Bullion Fringe. Worsted Quality. Range 51', twisted looped fringe in blue, lilac and green held by a head of cream and coral mercerised silk.

'3-inch Bullion Fringe. Worsted Quality. Range 51', twisted looped fringe in blue, lilac and green held by a head of cream and coral mercerised silk.

'Laced Fringe. Mercerised Cotton and Worsted. Style Y10', Green mercerised cotton laced in a lattice over a back fringe of green-blue worsted.

On the right:

'Single Tier Fringe. Worsted Quality. Range 51', a fringe with multicoloured medium-sized tassels from a predominantly blue heading.

'Cut Ruche. Worsted Quality. Range 51', Thick cut looped fringe, multicoloured but predominantly blue.

'Cut Ruche. Worsted Quality. Depth 2 inches. Range 51. Style N.K', a thick cut looped fringe, multicoloured but predominantly blue.

'Welting. (Any cord can be supplied in the form of a welting). Range 51', a cord, similar to those in the blocks of four trimmings above, is here at the lower end of a welting.

'Flat Ruche. Worsted Quality. Range 51'. Wide, interlacing loops closely packed to form a flat surface.

'Worsted Braid. Style K.T.1. Range 51', a braid slightly fancier than the 'K' braids above.

'Section Ruche. Worsted Quality. Range 51', a looped fringe with the mixed tones forming sections of colour in blue, red and yellow.

The last section is headed: 'The samples below represent stock trimmings in mercerised cotton. They and many other types can be made in special colours in mercerised cotton or worsted.'

At the left:

'Cut Fringe. Mercerised Cotton. Style F.3', grey white and pink cut cords with a little plaited worsted in the heading.

'Two Tier Tassel Fringe. Mercerised Cotton. Range 63', like the worsted two tier fringe above, but all in cream cotton.

''Minor' Tassel Fringe. Mercerised cotton. Range 63', small tasselled fringe in cream.

'Ruche. Type 'W'. Mercerised Cotton. Range 63', like the large looped pile ruches in the colour way section.

On the right:

'Section Fringe. Style 64. Mercerised Cotton', cut fringe, the colours arranged in sections, with blues together, cream, red and blue, cream, blues.

'Single Tier Tassel Fringe. Mercerised Cotton. Range 63', tassels and loops like the worsted single fringe.

'Ruche No. S.63. Mercerised Cotton', like the worsted 'S' ruches above, in cream cotton.

'Ruche No. S.64. Mercerised Cotton', same pattern as above but in white cotton bound with brown.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Wool-cotton, mercerised
Brief description
Sixty-eight samples of fringe trimmings in wool-cotton with ruche edging, made by A.H. Lee & Sons, England, 1920s.
Physical description
68 samples of fringe trimmings in wool-cotton with ruche edging. The samples and labels describing them are stuck to a green cloth intended to hang in display. They are headed 'EQUAL TO LEE FABRICS IN QUALITY' and are arranged in two columns, with order number to either side or in individual labels.

The top 48 samples are in groups of four, presenting four types of trimmings in twelve colour ways. At the top of each block of four is a ruche identified by the letter 'S', a heavily looped shallow fringe. Below is Ruche type 'W', with short looped pile covering a very fat cord. Then there is a braid with a 'plaited' centre, letter 'K'. Finally a cord, letter 'H'. These are in worsted with a little mercerised cotton. Colour ways are indicated by a number: at the left from the top to bottom '51', '52', '57', '58', '59', '56', and at the right '60', '62', '61', '54', '55', '53'.

There follows a label which reads: 'These samples represent further types of trimmings, all of which are being made to match the twelve colours of ruche, etc., shown above'.

The next twelve samples are individually labelled.
On the left:

'Two Tier Tassel Fringe. Worsted Quality. Range 51', a fringe with a blue heading from which hang alternate medium sized and large tassels on two levels in mixed colours.

'Tassel Fringe. 'Minor' Worsted Quality. Range 51', a smaller heading with small multicolour tassels alternating with short loops of worsted.

'2-inch Bullion Fringe. Worsted Quality. Range 51', twisted looped fringe in blue, lilac and green held by a head of cream and coral mercerised silk.

'3-inch Bullion Fringe. Worsted Quality. Range 51', twisted looped fringe in blue, lilac and green held by a head of cream and coral mercerised silk.

'Laced Fringe. Mercerised Cotton and Worsted. Style Y10', Green mercerised cotton laced in a lattice over a back fringe of green-blue worsted.

On the right:

'Single Tier Fringe. Worsted Quality. Range 51', a fringe with multicoloured medium-sized tassels from a predominantly blue heading.

'Cut Ruche. Worsted Quality. Range 51', Thick cut looped fringe, multicoloured but predominantly blue.

'Cut Ruche. Worsted Quality. Depth 2 inches. Range 51. Style N.K', a thick cut looped fringe, multicoloured but predominantly blue.

'Welting. (Any cord can be supplied in the form of a welting). Range 51', a cord, similar to those in the blocks of four trimmings above, is here at the lower end of a welting.

'Flat Ruche. Worsted Quality. Range 51'. Wide, interlacing loops closely packed to form a flat surface.

'Worsted Braid. Style K.T.1. Range 51', a braid slightly fancier than the 'K' braids above.

'Section Ruche. Worsted Quality. Range 51', a looped fringe with the mixed tones forming sections of colour in blue, red and yellow.

The last section is headed: 'The samples below represent stock trimmings in mercerised cotton. They and many other types can be made in special colours in mercerised cotton or worsted.'

At the left:

'Cut Fringe. Mercerised Cotton. Style F.3', grey white and pink cut cords with a little plaited worsted in the heading.

'Two Tier Tassel Fringe. Mercerised Cotton. Range 63', like the worsted two tier fringe above, but all in cream cotton.

''Minor' Tassel Fringe. Mercerised cotton. Range 63', small tasselled fringe in cream.

'Ruche. Type 'W'. Mercerised Cotton. Range 63', like the large looped pile ruches in the colour way section.

On the right:

'Section Fringe. Style 64. Mercerised Cotton', cut fringe, the colours arranged in sections, with blues together, cream, red and blue, cream, blues.

'Single Tier Tassel Fringe. Mercerised Cotton. Range 63', tassels and loops like the worsted single fringe.

'Ruche No. S.63. Mercerised Cotton', like the worsted 'S' ruches above, in cream cotton.

'Ruche No. S.64. Mercerised Cotton', same pattern as above but in white cotton bound with brown.
Dimensions
  • Cloth length: 51.5in
  • Cloth width: 13in
  • Each sample, approx. width: 4in
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'EQUAL TO LEE FABRICS IN QUALITY' (Heading)
  • 'These samples represent further types of trimmings, all of which are being made to match the twelve colours of ruche, etc., shown above'. (Label)
  • 'The samples below represent stock trimmings in mercerised cotton. They and many other types can be made in special colours in mercerised cotton or worsted.' (Heading of the last section)
  • 'Two Tier Tassel Fringe. Worsted Quality. Range 51' (Label)
  • 'Tassel Fringe. 'Minor' Worsted Quality. Range 51' (Label)
  • '2-inch Bullion Fringe. Worsted Quality. Range 51 (Label)
  • '3-inch Bullion Fringe. Worsted Quality. Range 51' (Label)
  • 'Laced Fringe. Mercerised Cotton and Worsted. Style Y10' (Label)
  • 'Single Tier Fringe. Worsted Quality. Range 51' (Label)
  • 'Cut Ruche. Worsted Quality. Range 51' (Label)
  • 'Cut Ruche. Worsted Quality. Depth 2 inches. Range 51. Style N.K' (Label)
  • 'Welting. (Any cord can be supplied in the form of a welting). Range 51' (Label)
  • 'Flat Ruche. Worsted Quality. Range 51' (Label)
  • 'Worsted Braid. Style K.T.1. Range 51' (Label)
  • 'Section Ruche. Worsted Quality. Range 51' (Label)
  • 'Cut Fringe. Mercerised Cotton. Style F.3' (Label)
  • 'Two Tier Tassel Fringe. Mercerised Cotton. Range 63' (Label)
  • ''Minor' Tassel Fringe. Mercerised cotton. Range 63' (Label)
  • 'Ruche. Type 'W'. Mercerised Cotton. Range 63' (Label)
  • 'Section Fringe. Style 64. Mercerised Cotton' (Label)
  • 'Single Tier Tassel Fringe. Mercerised Cotton. Range 63' (Label)
  • 'Ruche No. S.63. Mercerised Cotton' (Label)
  • 'Ruche No. S.64. Mercerised Cotton' (Label)
Credit line
Given by Mr E.F. Harpley
Object history
Registered File number 1980/2247.
Collection
Accession number
T.1-1981

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
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