Earlier this week, while looking for something else, I found a photo of another of Beryl Dean’s panels. They were commissioned by The Friends of St George’s Chapel. This Chapel is within the grounds of Windsor Castle.

This one, The Annunciation, is the first in a series of five. The finished size is 9′ x 4′ 6″. It would have required a special working framing as she described in her book.

The Annunciation Beryl Dean

I managed this time to get the colours a little nearer to their true colours. The halo area as well as the six flowers or flames are all stitched in a Whitework technique. In this, some of the threads from both the warp and the weft are removed. The remaining threads are used as the foundation for weaving in designs. I have never seen this used with colour and gold threads anywhere else. I think that other examples must exist somewhere and I know that you will tell me where they are.

The Annunciation Beryl Dean Zoom

The book is Church Embroidery by Beryl Dean 1982. ISBN 0-264-66842-1

I have been on vacation in England and Europe visiting lifelong friends and family. Yes, I had a wonderful time because it is such a treat to see everyone and to spend time in London and the Channel Islands.

My cousin, who had written ahead and made the arrangements, and I visited Windsor specifically to see the Beryl Dean Embroideries. We were expected and were taken through the rope barriers to the case where the embroideries are now stored. The case was then unlocked by a staff member so that we could see all five of the banners. Everyone was most helpful and it made a huge difference that they were expecting us.

I had forgotten how large the panels are, probably around 10 feet high by 5 feet wide. The size makes them difficult to photograph but the guide book features this one: The Adoration of the Magi. A scan and a screen shot of the page in the book is the best reproduction that I am able to provide for you. This photo does not do the panel justice at all.

Adoration of the Magi Windsor Castle

The background fabric was specially woven and is cream coloured with a silver thread included in the weft. When one has the opportunity to look closely the detail is fascinating and the workmanship incredible. But I would expect no less from such a talented designer and broideress. The closer one looked, the more one saw. All the faces were different in structure and expression and each one had eyes that saw you and returned your gaze. All the different techniques used were astounding.

Interestingly, though there is a lot of detail in the background, it remains in the background leaving the figures to be prominent and draw your attention. I have added an enlargement to give you a little more idea of the intricacy in every square inch of these embroideries. I wish that I could have provided better photos for you but this is the best that I can manage.

Needless to say, if you should happen to be in Windsor, go to St Georges’s Chapel within the grounds of Windsor Castle. Write beforehand and tell them your schedule and ask to see the Beryl Dean Embroideries. At the moment, the lighting available near their locked case is poor but I have asked the Chapel to consider installing lighting that can be switched on only when visitors such as us make a request to see the panels. The case and the lack of any direct light will preserve these remarkable pieces for posterity and I hope that they will be enjoyed by many future generations.
Write to:

The Archivist
Archives and Chapter Library,
The Vicar’s Hall Undercroft
The Cloisters
Windsor Castle,
Windsor, England
SL4 1NJ

They prefer to receive such requests by mail.

Beryl Dean was such a remarkable and talented lady that I am surprised that no one has yet written her biography. This would be an excellent subject for a University Thesis.

Beryl Dean Windsor Castle

Every now and again, the internet delivers a wonderful surprise. In early September, Debbie, who lives in Shropshire, England sent me a brief note saying she was able to identify the young lady who was stitching the GoldWork Sampler in the class photo at The Royal School of Needlework. Would I like to know her name?

I felt that I had won the pot of gold at the end of a treasure hunt. My profound thanks to Debbie for the initial information and then looking for more and sending me all that she found.

Stitcher Joan Lander

The young lady stitching that complex piece was Joan Lander. She was older than us teenagers having served as a nurse during World War lI and then started training at the Royal School of Needlework in 1947. At the time of the photograph she would have been in her last year of studies (see Blog entry of July 4, 2013).

Joan Lander’s family home was Sunnycroft. Wikipedia supplied the following history:

Located in the market town of Wellington, Shropshire, England, and owned by the National Trust as one of their more unusual properties.

Suburban villas were almost ‘country estates in miniature’ that attempted to emulate upper class mansions on a middle class budget. Many have either been modernized, renovated or refurbished out of recognition over the last 60 years or so or have been demolished and replaced with later housing, converted into offices or residential care homes, or have been broken up into flats and smaller residences.

Rare Survivor

Sunnycroft remains intact, complete with the original interior fixtures and fittings, many of which are still in place and therefore has a unique character and intimacy that is often lacking from larger properties but very evocative of its time and place.

Sunnycroft was built in 1880, and extended in 1899. Uniquely the house remained in the same family from its completion in 1899, until it was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1997.

The National Trust summarises Sunnycroft as:

A late 19th-century gentleman’s villa – typical creation of Victorian era suburbia
Rare unaltered interior, with an elaborate conservatory
A mini country-estate, with pigsties, stables, kitchen garden and orchards
Colourful borders and summertime flower displays
Superb long avenue of redwood trees and lime trees.

Visitors to the house will get an insight into some of the exquisite embroidery worn at Westminster Abbey and can browse through souvenir newspapers.
The ‘Thread Through History’ exhibition is housed in Miss Lander’s former bedroom and embroidery workshops are planned throughout the year.
Joan Lander travelled far and wide to teach embroidery and traded as Joan Lander Designs. She was awarded a gold medal by the Royal School of Needlework and held lessons around the dining room table at Sunnycroft.

Joan’s travels led her to collect all sorts of textiles and designs that inspired her work – including several pieces of Leek embroidery – providing a link with the likes of William Morris, who designed pieces for the Leek Embroidery School.

“Among the amazing collection we have also recently discovered what we think is the largest collection of Leek embroidery in the country.”

The fabulous colours of the silks and fabrics have been perfectly preserved through years of being hidden away in various pieces of furniture throughout the house.

National Trust curators and conservators have been delving in to cupboards and chests of drawers to create this fascinating new exhibition.

Joan worked on the embroidery of the Queen’s Purple Robe of Velvet at the 1953 coronation.

Leek Embroidery is William Morris Designs stitched with Silk Thread. I had never heard of it until now.

The following piece of embroidery is now owned by the National Trust. Designed and stitched by Joan while a student at RSN, it is probably her sampler of Laid Work. The appearance and the fact that it was stitched with silk threads leads me to that conclusion.

Stitcher Joan Lander Owner By National Trust

Joan Lander, bequeathed the house and estate to the National Trust. Realizing its historical value, she did not alter or modernize the house.

You will find a tour of some of the house, contents and the gardens on the following site:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/sunnycroftnt

There is a picture of the billiard table which she did not use for billiards but rather as a storage area for her embroidery supplies. There is only one photo of her embroidery on this site but her early RSN samplers would have been the same as mine.

I have also read that she also worked on the gown the Queen wore to her Coronation. She was chosen to be part of this team because of her exceptional skills particularly in GoldWork. From the wording, it is not clear if it was the gown or the velvet train she worked on but both were embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework.

Queens Coronation By Royal School of Needlework

Debbie thinks that Joan’s GoldWork sampler may be in a local church and hopes to be able to find it.

To add to this discovery, Debbie found a Pathe News Film dated 1951. It was taken at the Queen’s presentation of Diplomas to graduating students at the Royal School of Needlework. There is no sound track so here is a quick guide. I think that it was taken in the front office of the school’s property at Princes Gate. Everyone bows or curtseys to the Queen and then to the Princess Royal who is seated on the Queen’s right. The gentleman with the Queen is Earl Spencer, father of Princess Diana.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/queen-elizabeth-at-needlework-exhibition/query/royal+school+of+needlework

The graduating students are, first, Joan Lander. She had won the Gold Medal as an excellent student. There is a bit of repetition and you will see her twice. The second lady, I do not know. The student second to last out of four (at 00:21) is myself!! Continue watching through the gentlemen receiving their honours. They were also graduates of RSN, presumably from the night school program as they were not among the day students. Following this, you will see the Queen touring the display of students’ work. She is accompanied by Joan and is looking at the sampler which I am sure that you will now recognize. I am standing in the doorway at the back. I was wearing a blue wool dress made by my mother from a Vogue pattern. Is not the Queen a truly beautiful woman with a wonderful smile!

A link to another very short video of this momentous occasion was supplied by Claire Reeves of the National Trust. In this one, you will see more of the stitched samplers.

http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/BHC_RTV/1951/12/24/BGU412150048/?s=Joan Lander

Notwithstanding Pathe’s assertion that the film dates from 1951, I think that it is more likely to be 1952. My recollection is that RSN did not have a presentation in ’51 because there were so few students actually graduating that year so the presentation of their certificates was postponed until ’52. But until I locate my Diploma, I cannot be sure of the date.

I do remember the day and receiving my Diploma from the Queen. I did not get a higher level Certificate as I had only been a student for 18 months and had not completed the three year course. But I worked as hard and as fast as I could and completed about 2 1/2 years worth of work.

Debbie happened to find my blog as she is interested in embroidery and has taken a course on Crewel Embroidery taught by RSN and presented in her neighbourhood. She is eager for there to be another course and hopes to have the time to attend. She sent me a photo of her project which is a real credit to her and I hope that she will be able to continue this interest.

I hope that you have enjoyed this blog entry as much as I have creating it.