Artifact: Skeins of silk thread
Materials: Silk
Dimensions: Length: 13.6 cm
Date: 1800-1850
Origin: England
Collection: Victoria & Albert Museum
Ledger Entry: Fine Colored Thread
Department: Sewing
Customer: Mary Janey
Ledger Page: 276
Imported From:
Product Description
Thread was one of the most common purchases at the Ramsay store. Thread was sold in a variety of qualities and colors and was used primarily for sewing, mending, and embroidery.
Citation: Goggin, Maureen Daly, and Beth Fowkes Tobin. Women and the material culture of needlework and textiles, 1750-1950. (Farnham, England: Ashgate, 2009.);
Historical Price: 1 shilling, 8 pence; Modern USD: $18.6
Product Variations
The databases record one hundred and twenty two purchases of thread. In addition to colors, thread is qualified in types such as fine, best, and nun's thread. Thread was most commonly sold by the ounce, though some larger purchases were weighed in pounds. Their prices ranged from two pence for an ounce of thread to four shillings nine pence for a half ounce of fine white and brown thread No. 18.
