‘The work of masculine fingers’: the Disabled Soldiers’ Embroidery Industry, 1918–1955

Abstract

Embroidery as a feminising activity for men, as a sign of emasculation and effeminacy that also insinuates sexual inversion, although generally overlooked by historians was widely deliberated in early twentieth century Britain. Operating between 1918 and 1955 the Disabled Soldiers' Embroidery Industry was perhaps the most successful and high-profile scheme that aimed to help disabled combatants, returning from the First World War, back to employment through the smallscale production of domestic and luxury textiles marketed to middle class and aristocratic consumers. Its contribution to the modern revival of interest in embroidery is clear from its widespread promotion in newspapers and women's magazines, its relationship with manufacturers such as Pearsall's sewing threads and Weldon's mail-order sewing patterns, its inclusion in major exhibitions of embroidery in the period and the several major commissions it garnered until after the Second World War. This brief analysis of its history, made possible by the recent discovery of a small archive of its papers and a number of surviving embroideries, affords some insight into how masculine identity and the disabled body have operated as active rather than passive agents in design history. This article, although providing a basic overview of this business, also offers an interrogation of the interrelationship of masculinity, disability, craft and interwar modernity in Britain that draws upon design history, gender and sexuality theory and disability studies.

Threading the needle: when embroidery was used to treat shell-shock

“…The merits of occupational therapy, including embroidery, for shell-shocked survivors of combat were described by Williamson in 1917,2 and it was later reported to thwart ‘melancholy’ 3. Among the first to advocate for, and teach, embroidery for shell-shock was Louisa Pesel (1870–1947), an internationally known pioneer in the use of needlework 4.…”

“…Thesiger favoured Queen Anne or Chippendale chair designs, which he provided to his clients, with the encouragement that such designs would find a ready market. Thesiger joined forces with other like-minded individuals to found the Disabled Soldiers’ Embroidery Industry (DSEI) as a way of promoting the recovery and employment of war veterans 3. After a slow start, the DSEI gained momentum and attracted royal patronage, with support from Queen Mary, the Prince of Wales and the Queen of Spain.…”

“…Queen Mary accepted an altar frontal for use in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace (Figure 2), the Prince commissioned a historical map for his home, and the Queen of Spain received a stool cover. In 1933 the present Queen, Elizabeth II, received a small blue bag inscribed with her initial ‘E’ and a crown on the front 3. Other commissions included an order for the Haig banner at Ypres Memorial Chapel.…”

Stitching masculinities, stitching stories: Men’s quiltmaking experiences 1970-2020

“…From 1918-1955, the Disabled Soldiers' Embroidery Industry supported injured veterans to return to employment by producing embroidered items (McBrinn, 2018). This program was proposed by actor and artist Ernest Thesiger, who had been injured in his World War I service, although he was not disabled by it (McBrinn, 2017).…”

“…The London War Pensions Committee rejected the idea because "embroidery was too 'effeminate an occupation for ex-soldiers'" (McBrinn, 2017, p. 304). However, Thesiger successfully founded a charity, and work produced was featured in an annual exhibition that was often covered in the popular press and patronized by the British royal family (McBrinn, 2018). The Disabled Soldiers' Embroidery Industry was also covered in a few American newspapers and magazines, and from the 1930s to the 1950s, Life magazine occasionally featured American men who participated in needlework competitions, such as the National Exhibition of Amateur Needlework of Today that had a men's division (McBrinn, 2015(McBrinn, , 2021.…”