West Virginia Spinner

It occurred to me recently that I haven't posted many (any?) spinners from the US. 

(click for BIG)

So I give you this intent spinner and her pouting child from West Virginia from the late 1800's.  This is a photograph rather than a postcard and is, consequently, precious as it is very probably the only one in existence.  I wish I knew more about her, but the photo bears no more identifying information.

One very interesting aspect of this photo is the preparation of the wool she is spinning--rolags produced by a wool carding mill.  I have seen very few images of spinners working with this form of fiber.  Her rolags are quite different from what we contemporary spinners call rolags; they are very thin and airy and are two or three feet long. 

The bit of fiber hanging from her left hand is the unspun part of the rolag.  The white bundle hanging off the tension handle of her saxony wheel is a large number of these rolags, waiting to be spun.  Rolags such as these are a perfect preparation for woolen spinning; they practically spin themselves.

In the 19th century in the eastern US almost every stream--no matter how small--and every river was lined with mills. Mills for every purpose from wood turning to manufacturing brooms,to grinding grain and corn.  Chief amongst such mills were have been woolen mills.

With the advent of the industrial revolution, one of the earliest uses to which mill machines were put was to process wool.  Everyone needed wool for clothing and bedding, and at this time many people raised sheep and spun and wove their own fabrics, especially in rural areas.

People would deliver their wool to the mill and receive back the processed fiber, either in rolag or batt form.  People who did not raise their own sheep could also purchase the processed wool from the mill.

I have witnessed this process, myself, at Old Sturbridge Village in central Massachusetts on these water-driven carding machines.  The one in the foreground produces rolags, and the one behind produces batts.  If you are ever in the area, a visit to the woolen mill would be well worth your while.

Comments

[RobinH]

Neat! I have seen the carding mill at OSV, but unfortunately it wasn't in operation the day I was there. One of the things that I like about Sturbridge is that it's modeling a time of transition- hand-cobbled shoes, but with machine made pegs.

[Laurie]

Sounds like a fun educational process. It goes on the list.

[Lucia]

I haven't been to OSV since I was a kid. A field trip is definitely indicated. (There's one at the textile history museum too, but it doesn't run afaik.)

There's what's left of a pencil factory on the conservation land behind our neighborhood. I never thought about it before, but now that I do you're right that the brook it's on is quite small, and I wouldn't have thought would power much of anything. Wrong again.

[Beth S.]

Hydro-powered carding... I had no idea such a thing ever existed. Wow.

[Sharon]

So they could send their fleeces off to be processed, even way back then. I have a piece of counterpane that was dyed and woven in 1839 by some ancestors from their own sheep. Until I became a spinner, I didn't realize all the steps that went into that coverlet. I wonder if they sent their fleeces off~

[danana]

Good lesson today! I have been to Sturbridge but do not remember seeing carding machines - I'll have to go back! Have you been to the Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket RI? Been years since I've been there, but your post reminded me of it. It's a factory, so later in the process, but still interesting.

[Marie]

There ain't no dawgs under that porch! Are you certain it's West Virginia?

[Cheryl]

My family up on PEI still does that; they still have a wool pool at the MacAusland Woolen mill. Their carders look only slightly newer than that one too. Haha! http://www.flickr.com/photos/cherylf/905736514/in/set-72157601510745176/

[Carole]

Wonderful history lesson today. :-)

[dale-harriet in WI]

Yet another reason to try to get to Sturbridge! Don't know as I've said before but I *love* your site and all the pictures. I use them in turn as my desktop picture. Thank you, for all of them!

[Teresa C]

It is so educational here!

[heatherly]

omg! i was given that exact same wheel. i wondered why it had that thing on the front! i like how she uses it to hang :prepared fiber"