63/74/1-3

These three samples of seven-strand straw plait were given to the Museum by a Reading basketmaker, but it is believed that they were probably not made in England. Straw plait was used for decorating basketwork, particularly chairs.

3 plaits: straw

Visiting researcher note, Tim Johnson (basketmaker), 20 June 2014 – Each plait sample is a seven-strand plait made using a 1-2 plait (over 1, under 2). Basketmakers usually bought in straw plait., Miss Emily E. Mullins (1906–1967) was a basketmaker in Reading. Her family were basketmakers for at least five generations. Her father, William Mullins, had no sons and Emily chose to become a basketmaker and carry on the tradition. She ran a basketmaking business in Bath circa 1926–1939, and moved to London in 1940 where she made baskets for the war effort. Later, she moved to Reading where she took over her father’s job on his death at Cook’s Dairy and Farm Equipment Ltd., a basketmaking firm founded in 1760 by John Cook. Cook’s had premises at Market Place, Reading, and the workshop was at Silver Street, Reading. The Museum has an extensive collection of baskets and basketmaking tools (approximately 200) given to the Museum by Emily Mullins. No correspondence between the Museum and Emily Mullins was found in July 2012, and it is assumed from scraps of information (e.g. a note on the Adlib record for 63/61 which said that the 63/ baskets were made by Emily Mullins for the Museum and were therefore never used, and a note on the Adlib record for 64/147 which said that Emily Mullins made numerous baskets for the Museum in 1964) that the baskets were made by Emily Mullins at Cook’s Silver Street workshop and the tools were used by Emily Mullins at the same workshop., MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: PLAIT (Sample, straw) // Acc. No.: 63/74/1–3 // Group: CRAFT. WOOD. BASKETS. // Neg. no.: 60/13211 // Place of origin: Reading. Berks. [Berkshire] // Period in use: Present. // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Straw plait. // Shape and construction: {Probably not made in England. D.W. [Dorothy Wright]} // Dimensions: Width 3/4” // Use: For decorating basket work, particularly chairs. // Dialect names: // Distribution: // Additional notes:'

Straw plait, Sample

Cook's Dairy and Farm Equipment Ltd. ()
Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)