An Unbroken Thread Celebrating The 150 Years Of The Royal School Of Needlework

Exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London, 1 April - 4 September 2022

Many initiatives to support women were begun in the late 1800s, but the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) is one of the few that remain. This initiative was born from the desire of three women - Princess Helena, Lady Victoria Welby and Lady Marian Alford - to popularise the lost art of ornamental needlework and to provide employment for women compelled to earn their own livelihood.

This exhibition catalogue tells the story of the RSN from its founding in 1872 to the current day. It highlights key people, royal and other special commissions, the changing fortunes of the school as fashions changed and the approach to teaching hand embroidery, as well as bringing attention to the role and position of the RSN, associating with everyone from society ladies and theatre impresarios in the late 19th century to working with fashion designers Patrick Grant, Nicholas Oakwell and Alexander McQueen, and architects in the 21st century.