We tend to overlook the Livery Companies that represented all the crafts, as in the main they were much poorer and struggled to survive. Glovers were typical founded in the 14th century by the late 15th they were merging and then being taken over by the Leathersellers, a rich trading compsny. Capital versus labour writ […]
Times change
For those who watch this website and in particular the blog you may have noticed that below the waterline quite a lot has been happening. I have been steadily trying starting to update some parts of the website and to improve the ease of reading. A new timeline for gloves has been introduced and will […]
A new book on Gloves is a major contribution to the understanding of the mystery of gloves
An academic career teaching French and writing about French literature is an unusual background from which to segue into the literature of gloves. Anne Green, Emeritus Professor of French at King’s College London, shows the value of such a move in her enthralling new book Gloves, An Intimate History. Talking to the glove network she came […]
A Confusion of Names
Anyone with a training in leathermaking soon becomes confused when faced by the various names given to the leather in historic gloves. This is not so much a matter of error but rather a question of how difficult it is to identify species in glove leather when a great variety of origins and processing methods […]
Getting through the Plague
Getting through the plague: a rather rambling story of how the Worshipful Company of Glovers of London were given their 1638 Charter by Charles I, King of Great Britain and Ireland (1625-1649) True to the times it is said that the Black Death, or at least the most significant outbreak of it, originated in China […]
Personal thoughts on the history of the Glovers Company of London
This is the approximate content of a talk to the Worshipful Company of Glovers of London in February 2019 Master, Wardens, Baroness, Visiting Masters, Worthy and Learned Clerk, Guests, Citizens and Glovers. It is amazing to think that in the City of London, a place that has been so dominated by men over the last […]
The Leather in 16th and 17th century Gloves
Looking at the records written about the magnificent gloves of the 16th and 17th century that we find in museums throughout the world we often marvel at the gauntlet style with the large cuff displaying fabulous embroidery, gilt threads, jewels and all manner of fringes and tassels. Anyone with half an interest in dress, fashion, craftsmanship or materials […]
Great article on gloves from Naples, and France
The glove world has been busy lately. A friend and colleague whom I meet regularly in Asia, although she currently lives in Switzerland, has written a fine short article on the glove industry in Naples. Find it here Neapolitan Hands Also Rosemary Harden from the Fashion Museum in Bath took a four day Glove related […]
Glovers Company 2019 Design Competition
Student Competitions THE 2019 COMPETITIONS Details Written by John Spanner Last Updated: 29 August 2018 2019 There are 2 competitions for students – Glove design and Safety Poster design; the closing date for both competitions is Friday 22 March 2019 GLOVE DESIGN COMPETITION There are two categories, each of which has a first prize of […]
Philip Roth had a good glove teacher
When Philip Roth wrote about the glove industry he did good research, and anyone keen to learn about gloves, particularly the dress glove business, should definitely read this book. Roth travelled to that most famous American city of gloves – Gloversville – in up state New York and met with senior, experienced glove industry experts […]