Thimbles

Object/Artifact

Windham Textile and History Museum

Name/Title

Thimbles

Entry/Object ID

2023.20.1

Description

Fifty-one collectible thimbles (28 ceramic, 22 metal/pewter, 1 leather). Four broken at time of accession. These thimbles were collected in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s by Norma Smith of Manchester, CT.

Use

Thimbles were used in hand sewing to protect the sewer's fingertips. These thimbles, however, were meant for decoration and display, mostly as travel souvenirs.

Context

By the middle of the 20th century, thimbles were commonplace items easily recognizable by most people. In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, growing affluence led to increased travel, particularly within the United States. Decorative thimbles, too fragile to be practical for sewing, made good souvenirs, as they were small, easy to pack, and easy to display.

Collection

General Collection

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Thimble

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Needleworking Equipment

Nomenclature Class

Textileworking T&E

Nomenclature Category

Category 04: Tools & Equipment for Materials

Location

Room

* Untyped Location

Main Museum Building

Date

September 17, 2023

Provenance

Provenance Detail

Collected by Norma Smith on her travels.

Created By

historian@millmuseum.org

Create Date

September 17, 2023

Updated By

historian@millmuseum.org

Update Date

September 17, 2023