Needlework Notebook.
[n.p. n.d., ca. 1940s]. The samples include, as follows: embroidery, applique, stitches (blanket, chain, feather, French knot, etc.), quilting, needlepoint, crocheting, and more. The “Excellent” note on the title-page indicates that this was a school assignment, likely belonging to a junior high student, that received a good grade. With sixteen pages of sewing, crochet, and weaving samples, plus hand-drawn text figures illustrating sewing and weaving patterns, different kinds of stitches and knots, and more. Manuscript and typewritten text describes different fiber craft techniques. The spine of the binder is damaged, causing tears to a few leaves but no loss of meaning. Toning to some of the fabric samples. Red pencil manuscript note on title-page reads “Excellent.” With one sample (of a woven shade pull) missing. Overall, a good, clean example of a unique sewing workbook. Original black three-ring binder. 7 x 10 in. [33] ff. Item #17461
In 1918, the United States mandated elementary school education. This legislation coincided with a rise in public schooling in the United States, which, in turn, led to the development of home economics programs across the country. Home economics programs for young women, as well as the equivalent shop programs for young men, brought education in the trades into a classroom environment at a time when the percentage of students who would attend universities was much lower — in 1940, 3.8% of women and 5.5% of men in the United States graduated from college, compared to 39.1% and 36.6%, respectively, in 2021. Teaching work skills in classrooms was both a practical concern and an indication of the philosophy of public education of the early twentieth century, which tended to prioritize students’ viability as members of a labor force over scholastic and personal advancement through education.
Duffin, Erin. “Percentage of the U.S. population with a college degree, by gender 1940-2021.” Accessed on the Statisa website.
Price: $250.00