Anne-Marie Sandos chose…

three woven silk pictures

I have chosen three Stevengraphs because there were many producers in Coventry. Two are views from Coventry because I love old pictures of familiar places. I have chosen a view of Bayley Lane and a view of Coventry which includes the three spires. The third Stevengraph shows Queen Victoria. I think the caption is interesting as it shows the shift in Britain's position on the world stage and changes in attitudes. I have an interest in Black history and find it fascinating to look at how the links created during the British Empire have shaped the way Britain is now.

Anne-Marie is the Herbert's Social Inclusion Officer

What the curator says:

woven silk pictures collected in 1960

For many years Coventry was the centre of silk ribbon weaving in Britain. In the 1850s Coventry ribbon manufacturers began to produce silk pictures. The most famous of these was Thomas Stevens, who invented the name Stevengraphs. The Herbert has one of the best collections of silk pictures in the world.