Collections

Collections  

The collection amassed by Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth during her lifetime comprised of approximately 11,000 items spanning lace, embroidery, woven and printed materials, costume, accessories, books, tools and other craft related items from across the world. Artefacts range from the highly functional to the finest decorative or ceremonial pieces and span five centuries.

Rachel’s wide network of friends, acquaintances and of course, family members, donated items and helped her to acquire items from allover the world.

Objects were collected to demonstrate design and craftsmanship, each with its own story of tradition, skill, creativity and innovation. Rachel was interested in the everyday textiles which filled Lancashire homes as well as those made by skilled craftsmen and women from across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. 
Rachel added handwritten labels to the items that she collected, often written in a distinctive green ink. She also created catalogues of the Collection, allowing us to benefit from her vast knowledge.

Following Rachel’s death in 1967 the Collection continued to grow and now stands at over 30,000 items which together form the accredited museum collections housed and displayed at Gawthorpe Hall.

We share the Collection with the public through temporary exhibitions, learning activities and pre-arranged visits. The Collection was always intended to be an educational resource, available for study and inspiration. It is known to specialists worldwide and we welcome enquiries and visits from researchers, academics, schools, colleges and universities, artists, makers, designers and special interest groups as well as commercial industries.

We are constantly researching items in the Collection and their donors to help us to better understand them. View the Collection Gallery to see a representative sample of what we have and visit our Collection Stories Blog to read some of the fascinating stories that have been  uncovered.

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