1920-1960 Vintage Needlecraft from the Rosemary McLeod Collection
Perhaps best known as a columnist and commentator, Wellington-based McLeod is also an avid collector with an eye for the overlooked: many of the objects in her collection, made between 1920-1960, come from op shops, charity stores, Trade Me and friends who know of her ongoing passion for domestic handcraft. Items range from tea cosies and aprons to doilies, dollies and golliwogs. Alongside McLeod’s collection of found embroideries are works made by her own hands, using patterns and instructions found in old craft magazines.
McLeod’s personal collection is as much about social history as it is about recovering a once ubiquitous art form. Her collection, she says, is not just about objects; it is about women’s hopes, dreams, beliefs and financial realities during decades when life in New Zealand was undeniably tough.
Exhibition proudly supported by MacKay Strathnaver Trust