The birth of an idea...
It was one Sunday afternoon some 18 months ago that the concept of this book was first suggested.
The volunteer Civic Society Member who was sitting-in for the 2-hour open period was approached by a lady visitor. He was asked if there was a publication available to accompany the Worth exhibition. When told that there was not, she said that there should be as it was important to link Worth with the town in which he was born and with his influence with haute couture. The exhibition achieved that but visitors only took away memories of what they had seen. More than that was needed.
The conversation with the lady was relayed to the Civic Society Executive Committee who accepted the need and agreed to produce a book – if the necessary funding could be found to produce it. An approach was made to the Len Pick Trust who agreed to fund the publication. We are all most grateful to them.
Charles Frederick Worth was born in Bourne in 1825. At the young age of 19 he was making dresses in France and became something of a pioneer in fashion. He invented the bustle, he was the first to use artificial dyes and was the first to use machine produced lace in his creations.
All these facets are evident in the reproductions of his work in our exhibition. The reproductions have been lovingly created by volunteer seamstresses here in Bourne. Without these ladies we would have nothing to show.
Worth was a child of Bourne and it is appropriate that he has come back to Bourne through his work. It is as though the circle has been completed.
We hope the lady who visited the Mill and who put the idea for this book into our heads returns to the Mill so that she can see for herself where her comments have led. |
