Courtesy posting for Dakota County Historical Society NEEDLE WORKING DAY AT THE LEDUC HISTORIC ESTATE Modern Interpretations of Historic Design III will make its debut on June 28, 2014, 10 a.m. at the LeDuc Historic Estate, 1629 Vermillion Street, Hastings, MN 55033. On display will be entries chosen from the recent competition where artists and needle-workers will have used one (or more) of 16 designs taken from the historic collection of the Hastings Needle Work Company, which was founded in 1901 by Alice and Florence LeDuc. The exhibit will remain through mid-August 2014. The more than 1,200 original patterns are housed today in the archives of the Minnesota Historical Society, the Dakota County Historical Society and the Pioneer Room at Hastings City Hall. Visitors will have an opportunity to vote for their favorite piece. During the day, demonstrations will be provided by artists involved in the needlework competition who will reveal how their craft is mastered. At 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. there will be lectures by Dr. Ann Braaten of North Dakota State University who has done considerable research on the Hastings Needle Work Company. Reservations are required for these lectures as space is limited. Call 651-437-7055 for reservations. Guided tour rates apply for the day, but lectures are free for members of Dakota County Historical Society. Dr. Ann Braaten will discuss what motivated the LeDuc women to establish this early cottage industry in Hastings, the patterns used in their endeavors, and why this was so important to the family. We embroidered dragons - a great many dragons and flowers that had never bloomed anywhere and birds... wrote Alice LeDuc to a friend. Excerpt from Women Creating, Women Providing, by Ann Braaten, July, 2006 Minnesota History Magazine. Florence LeDuc came up with the idea of starting the company after living briefly in New York City and taking classes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. At that time, the Arts and Crafts movement was underway and this developed as a reaction to increasing mechanization. According to Braaten, As societal values regarding the education of women shifted, educational facilities began creating curricula they considered appropriate for women,. This included allowing women to study the decorative arts, including embroidery and china painting. These art forms were considered to be ladies arts, meaning that they were appropriate and expected outlets for women of high social standing. It was Florence LeDuc who came up with the idea of forming Hastings Needle Work Company, but it was Alice LeDuc who drew most of the designs. Their mother, Mary Bronson LeDuc, sister, Minnie LeDuc Gardner, and nieces, Edith and Mabel Gardner, also helped with the embroidery work. Fifteen to twenty Hastings women were employed as piece workers in order for the LeDuc women to keep up with their orders which came from New York City, Chicago, & the Twin Cities. There was a large demand among ladies in the higher social circles and they ordered such embroidered items as lamp shades, table runners, purses, napkins & pillow cases. The business continued for 34 years, but ended at the beginning of WWI as the LeDuc women felt they should concentrate their efforts to the war effort. Enjoy Needle Working Day at the LeDuc Historic Estate where you will see some of the finest art work and hear high quality presentations on the art of needle working. The LeDuc Historic Estate is owned by the City of Hastings and managed by Dakota County Historical Society. See dakotahistory.org for further information. Contact: Margaret Goderstad LeDuc Historic Estate 1629 Vermillion Street Hastings, MN 55033 651-437-7055 dakotahistory.org
Posted on: Tue, 27 May 2014 16:42:15 +0000
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