Kneelers - The Unsung Folk Art of England and Wales

Kneelers is a celebration of the most widely practised - but often overlooked - folk art in England and Wales in the last 90 years: the design and craft of church kneelers. Featuring charming stories and enchanting designs from churches across the country, the book traces the history of kneelers; from their spectacular beginnings at Winchester in the 1930s to their booming popularity after the Queen''s coronation, to the present-day congregations who are keeping the tradition alive. In their range and diversity, the kneelers collected here form a fascinating social record of the concerns and interests that occupied their makers over the last century - including local fauna and flora, cricket, dragons, post-war commemoration and the thrills of high-speed travel. Filled to the brim with beautiful full-colour images, Kneelers displays the quirky artistry and widely varied (and often surprising) motifs which have characterised church kneelers in the last century. It rejoices in the personal stories of some of the people who have practised and advanced the art form, and is a wonderful commemoration of what happens when communities come together to celebrate their history and their environment.

About the author

Elizabeth Bingham is a leading authority on Anglican church kneelers. Some thirty years ago, aware that the folk art of designing and making kneelers was endangered, she set up the Parish Kneelers website, parishkneelers.co.uk. It has grown into a rich and vivid record of the social history of the second part of the twentieth century.

Product details

• Authors: Elizabeth Bingham
• Publisher: Chatto and Windus
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 03.11.2022
• EAN: 9781784743963
• ISBN: 978-1-78474-396-3
• No. of pages: 144
• Dimensions: 228 mm x 184 mm x 20 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Art history; England, Wales, European History, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology of Religion, ART / Subjects & Themes / Religious, ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES / Textiles & Costume, History of Art, British & Irish history, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Textile artworks, History: specific events and topics, Cultural studies: customs and traditions, Textile artworks: tapestries, hangings & quilts, Anglican and Episcopalian Churches, Folk, Folkloric styles