The Glove Network

As written by Past Master & Alderman Alison Gowman: I was a delight that I was invited and able to join The Glove Network. This is a relatively new academic study set up by Frances Turner, textile and fashion designer, researcher and Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Skills for Fashion and Textiles at Bath Spa University. The aim of the network is to explore how to promote a better understanding of the history, design and manufacture of gloves; look at the significance of collections and their; raise awareness of the declining English glove industry and explore longer-term research goals. There is a useful website giving details of the programme here https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/projects/the-glove-network/

To date they have held two seminars – the first one physically in Bath and the second on 1st May on Zoom. Frances has managed to bring together an array of individuals who span the academic and museum world as well as manufacturing and has kindly invited the Glovers’ Livery to be present.

For myself, I feel that this is an excellent initiative and one that the Glovers’ Livery should embrace wholeheartedly. To learn more about the history of gloves and their use and making and then to ensure collections are well researched and accessible is to enhance our gloving purpose. At the same time to be able to support the glove industry is really important as the number of manufacturers has drastically declined in the last few decades. The National Association of Glove Manufacturers remained a robust trade association until the end of the 1980s with over sixty members in 1982. The manufacturers now number less than a dozen.

On 1st May we heard from various contributors. David Nash, Curator of Social History, Museums Worcestershire spoke about the Robert Ring collection that was handed over to the Museum on Robert’s death and is still being catalogued with many examples of gloves and samples from Dents and Milore̒.

Gail Stewart-Bye, Curator at The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu presented on the niche but important topic of driving gloves. The collection even includes a driving glove with a battery operated right/left indicator light. Those were the motoring days!

Prof James Daybell is on old friend of the Glovers and is finalising his new book in collaboration with Dr Susan Broomhall, Professor of History at the University of Western Australia called “Glove Culture and Gender in Early Modern England”.

The Glovers hosted the group working on this topic at the Museum of London and viewed their collection a few years’ ago, also helping regarding some of the issues around manufacture and design of gloves. The final book will be fascinating and the brief resume whetted our appetites. How were gloves created and designed and how did they end up being collected? For example why is the glove said to be worn by Mary Queen of Scots at her execution in the Saffron Walden Museum or that of Charles I on his scaffold at Lambeth Palace?

Past Master Rodney Jagelman gave an excellent overview of our student glove competition and I followed up with some history of the Livery and a swift canter around the current glove companies working in England. Whilst Debbie Burton from Pittards was present it was clear that there is a space for other glove businesses to join and share their experiences. The Network will continue to meet and share ideas and explore the wonderful world of gloves of which we are very lucky to be a part.