Powerhouse Museum lace – collection overview

Handmade lace was valuable and highly collectable when the Powerhouse Museum began its collections in the 1880s. Private collectors donated some exceptional examples and more were purchased as time progressed. Lace that appeared on fashion garments in the collection was usually machine made but fine needle and bobbin lace, knotting, knitting and crocheted lengths of lace, collars and cuffs were of excellent quality.

During the 20th century lace lost its prestige and it became a somewhat neglected subject area. Much of the lace collection had little or no documentation when in 1980 Rosemary Shepherd, as Lace Curator, began to document and establish categories. Being an expert lace maker she was able to recognise precise techniques and materials and suggest where the examples may have originated.

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Some of the favourite examples of lace in the collection date from the 1500s. Shepherd defines lace as ‘an openwork fabric whose pattern of spaces is as important as the solid areas’. This broad definition includes many works previously not considered lace. The Museum has also a fine collection of openwork in beaten metal, wood, glass and other design disciplines which are subject to similar design parameters as linen lace.

Below are some themed selections of objects from the Powerhouse Museum’s collections.

Fashion collection
Contemporary collection
Historic lace designs
Underwear collection

View lace related books in our Research Library