Discovering history. It’s always dangerous digging in the cupboards…

Discovering history. It’s always dangerous digging in cupboards and drawers that open up into unknown worlds and unexplored territories. This is mainly because I didn’t put the things in there in the first place and I can never tell what i might find. As usual it’s an eclectic mix of memorabilia; family photos interspersed with textile design work, fashion photographs, press clippings, childhood drawings, notes and letters. A stock record book with my mother’s curled script listing descriptions of garments and their prices opens a door into a time I hardly remember because I was so young. Dresses, blouses and skirts priced in old money. 1960’s minis, midis and maxis in cloth that is probably no longer made. It is certainly long before the days she started to create her own textile designs and fabric colours. Mini skirt - tan wool embroidery for a mere two pounds and five shillings. Or a midi skirt in donkey face cloth, whatever that might be, for three pounds, fifteen shillings and six pence. This would have definitely been before decimalisation in February 1971. And before we moved to Llanfoist House later that year. An old work diary from 1976. Appointments with bank managers and the tax man along with notes about meeting private customers, what they ordered and the price they paid. She’s now selling things for £30 or more. I wonder what the younger Patricia Lester of this time would have thought if someone had told her of the journey she would go on. I wonder what she would have said if she knew she was going to sell her works of art to red carpet celebrities around the world and often charge several thousands of pounds for just one outfit. I have always known that there is a book to be explored here. Finding these pieces of history spurs me on to do more to make this happen. I can’t wait to share some of the pictures I’ve found … but I’ll do that another time. Now I must continue with the packing again. ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #familyhistoryresearch #familyhistoryresearchinprogress #vintagephoto #myheritage #art #oldphotos #familyhistory #vintagefashion #fashionhistory #fashionarchives #archive #handmade https://www.instagram.com/p/CRHsBjdp0WQ/?utm_medium=tumblr