Wedding veil worn by Emily Green on the occasion of her marriage to John Aitkens Manton, All Saints Church, Parramatta, New South Wales, 1865
Object No. 2007/166/1
This wedding veil of tamboured machine made net was worn by successive generations of the same family from 1865-1932. It is a treasured heirloom with an interesting provenance having been first worn by the donor's great grand-mother, Emily Green, on the occasion of her marriage to John Manton at All Saints Church, Parramatta in 1865. The veil is significant as it symbolises the special value people place in heirlooms. The emotional connection family members have with an heirloom is what makes it valuable. Lace in particular, evokes important memories connecting one generation to another to become part of a family's cherished heritage. Throughout history, cultural traditions, ancestry and religious beliefs have influenced one of the most important public occasions in a person's life. Weddings are steeped in significant traditions of the past and incorporate ritualistic customs into the ceremony and dress. The wedding veil originally symbolised the bride's virginity, innocence, and modesty. The veil can be traced back to Roman times when it was a complete head to toe cover that was later used as a burial shroud. This symbolism has been lost over the years but the veil is still customarily worn.
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Summary
Object Statement
Wedding veil, tamboured machine made net, cotton, maker unknown, probably Ireland, c. 1865
Physical Description
Wedding veil, tamboured machine made net, cotton, maker unknown, probably Ireland, c. 1865 A cream cotton rectangular wedding veil of tamboured machine-made net. It has a scalloped edge in a looping pattern intertwined with flowers and leaves. Adjacent to the loops is a dense vine motif of different types of flowers and leaves which encircles the veil. The pattern of the body of the veil consists of different intertwined bunches of flowers, sprigs, vines and leaves which become more sparse towards the centre.
DIMENSIONS
Width
1630 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
Tambour is a type of embroidered lace which consists of a design worked on machine net by tambour hook in fine chain stitch. It was named for the tambourine or drum-like frame that the background net is stretched over. The tambour industry began in Ireland, England and Belgium in the late 1820s. Tambour lace is made by stretching a fine net over a frame that resembles a drum and creating a chain stitch using a fine hook similar to a crochet hook to reach through the net and draw the working thread through the net.
HISTORY
Notes
This wedding veil of tamboured machine made net was worn by the donor's great grandmother, Emily Green (b. 1844) on the occasion of her marriage to John Aitkens Manton (b. 1835) at All Saints Church, Parramatta on 18 February 1865. The wedding veil was worn by successive generations including Dora Madeline Manton (b. 1873); Blanch Carlotta Manton (b.1880); Florry Adelle Manton (b. 1884); Ivy Madeline Davis (b. 1896) married Gordon Murray Shain in 1919. On file is a copy of a photograph of Stella Heard wearing the veil on the occasion of her marriage to Horace Charles Davis in 1927 and a photograph of Mary Janetta Davis (b. 1908) who married Arthur Freebury Chesterman in 1932.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs Dorothy Todhunter, 2007
Acquisition Date
5 November 2007
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