Shades of Black: process and finish in

Norwich mourning fabrics

‘All the process of Crapes Crimping dyeing and dressing’

From undated notebook, Bridewell Museum 660.966.21

‘General ideas on the Manufacturing of Gauzes; suitable for being afterwards made into Mourning Crapes’

‘On Crimping Dyeing and Finishing of Crapes’

From notebook dated 1863,Bridewell Museum 1982.154.53

Silk weaving, Francis Hinde & Sons, early 20th c. Bridewell Museum

Dyeing, Francis Hinde & Sons, early 20th c. Bridewell Museum

Mourning Dress (on left)

Caption reads:

Plain cashmere skirt, long tablier drapery, richly trimmed with crossway folds of crape. Crape mantle lined with silk, short behind, revers collar and shawl ends in front. Large dull beads for trimming, Crape bonnet with black flowers and long veil.

The Season, vol. IV, Sept. 1885.

Caption reads:

Widow’s Dress of crepe cloth or real crape over a back lining; the front breadth is of black Paramatta cloth, now only used for mourning purposes. It is a plain simple style, in in very good taste, which does not always appear in the style adopted by some widows.

Dress for Second Mourning. After one year the mourning is changed; the dress may be of cashmere with a band of crape above the hem of the dress.However much it is draped in front, the back is in plain box pleats. A crape vest and Spanish jacket trimmed with crape.

Ordinary Mourning Costume of black corded silk or woollen fabric; with this there is no crape excepting the hat, which is entirely of crape. The buttons on the dress are of a slate grey colour.

The Ladies' TreasuryNovember1890

(From: Anne Buck ‘The Trap Rebaited: Mourning Dress 1860-1890’)

Each day some loved one hastens to his end,And from your grief few mortals may escape: -And Paramatta’s what we recommendFor you will weep, and tears are bad for crape.

From ‘Speculative Sympathy’Punch vol 22, p.167, 1852

Crape sample, Grout and Company, 20th c. Norfolk Record Office Y/D 50/246-7

Fabric names from book of black samples, Bolingbroke & Jones, 1882.

Bridewell Museum 1966.661.18

Black fabrics, Bolingbroke & Jones sample book, 1882. Bridewell Museum, 1966.661.18

Finishing room, Hinde factory, early 20th century. Bridewell Museum.

Norwich Crape Company factory, 19th century(Bridewell Museum)

Treble crabbing machine

from Hummel’s The Dyeing of Textile Fabrics, (first published 1885)

Note from production notebook, 1910Hinde archive, Bridewell Museum

1982.154.53

Paper label, undatedBridewell Museum

Crape sample, Grout & Co.. Norfolk Record Office Y/D 50/246-7

Crape samples, 20th century, Grout & Co. Norfolk Record Office Y/D 50/246-7

Looms running: crape and dress fabrics , 1918-1921

From Hinde notebook, 1982.154.53.