Hand made tales: women and domestic crafts

Craft-making skills are often passed down in families from one generation to the next. Sharing a craft is a long-standing method of binding family members together. The bond between craft-makers has traditionally been personified via the image of mother and daughter knitting, mending, baking or sewing harmoniously. These popular images, common in the1950s, create a romanticised notion of a specific feminine domestic ideal in which skills and knowledge are enjoyed and passed on. The objects on display attempted to reveal more complicated stories: a sarong suit made by a husband and wife to mark a new beginning after World War II. A recipe book illustrated the expression of family history through the making and sharing of food. A wealth of memories were also held in treasured items gifted to the next generation such as a tobacco tin or an embroidered wedding present. This display was comprised exclusively of objects loaned from other institutions and private donors