The week-end before last I went to the 'Lost Trades Fair' in Kyneton. What a great event and what fun it was to watch! The Event included; blacksmithing (interested due to my Great Grandfather and beyond), Saddlery (my Grandfather's trade), A Fletcher, Armourer (with Blacksmithing in my ancestors, surely there were a few suits made for Knights!), bookbinding, instrument making, gunsmithing, rope making, boat building, Wood turning, general wookwork, bee keeping, plus much more of the traditional men's crafts, and then there was the crafts that these days are more for the ladies (that being said there were men doing some of these at the fair as there would have been years ago too).... Spinning, Weaving, Millinery, Shoe Making (which I so want to get into), and an antique Sewing Machine stand.
Now this stand was not just your run of the mill treadle Singer machines, but fancy embroidery and a Cornelly Machines. These days one really just considers that the embroidery machines are a new things, as they are now affordable for the domestic market. Well some of there are affordable, some are way out of my reach.
This now has me thinking what did my ancestors on my mother side use in the first Umbrella & Parasol Shop in Melbourne, that also made ladies accessories.... (this is an assumption as many of the children including my pop have their occupation as glove maker, bag maker etc, in the early years of their working life)
So here are a few pics of these fancy antique machines, and an original advertisement for the Umbrella Shop. Presumably some of these types of machines where in use at the shop. I will have to try and investigate, but sadly there is no one around to ask first hand anymore.
