Tonight Wendy continues to tell about her investigations into how spangles were made in the past. These descriptions come from post-1620 sources. The methods and techniques described may very well have continued unchanged for decades or even centuries, but unless we find some pre-1620 sources, we won’t be able to know for sure. However, the written evidence, even from later sources, combined with the physical evidence of the early 17th-century spangles that Tricia, Wendy and Mark studied, can give us many clues as to how the sparklies were made.

So what does a “Wire Drawer” do? Well he/she draws wire, but we didn’t need to know the specifics for all types of wire, just precious metal. While the definitions are similar some of the tools are different as well as the terms and of course the products….. so here is what I hope is a picture of this craft.

The art of the Wire Drawer includes the manufacture of wire (thread), purls, plates, spangles and oes. Gilt wire started with “sterling” silver. Sterling means the silver was alloyed with copper to ensure that it would not fracture as it was worked. The sterling was then “drawn” or stretched into a finer and still finer diameter wire. Once it reached a certain specific size, gold leaf from the “Gold Beaters” (makers of Gold leaf) was applied until the gold layer reached a thickness of one-fiftieth of an inch. The gold leaf was then fused to the sterling and that was further drawn out to the necessary size. If “plate “ were the desired result, the wire would be run through a “rolling mill” (two smooth and polished gear driven rollers) to flatten it.

We suspect that at this point spangles could be made, individual spangles being cut or punched from the plate.

If the illustrations and the process originally described in Art of the Embroiderer by Charles Germain de Saint- Aubin, Designer to the King 1770 (and also quoted by Gail Marsh) are correct then the creation of spangles once the flat stock or “plate “ was made was a two step process. First the stock was pierced at intervals to create the small hole for hanging, then the “spangle tool” was used to cut out the shaped spangle (in this case a tear drop). The shape of the tool and descriptions call for the “spangle’ to emerge from the top – this would allow the worker to rapidly hammer out (cut or punch) a quantity before having to tip out the punch of its finished contents. This would also explain the nips seen in several of the spangles that Tricia has viewed as well as some of the spangles having more of a straight edge on one side (it’s the human touch).

It should be mentioned that wire drawers were also responsible in large part for the actual spinning of the gilt silk threads. The gilt was “spun” (wrapped) around the silk core by “spinners” a specific job within the field of Wire Drawing.

George Bernard Hughes in his book, Living Crafts- 1896 describes it this way:

It now became possible to make gold and silver thread, flattening the finely drawn wire by passing it through rollers and twisting those around a core of silk by means of a wheel operated twisting machine. These spun threads, much less expensive to produce than wires of solid gold or silver, were sufficiently flexible to be used for making lace as well as for wearing and embroidery.” He also mentions that “at first the new thread was known as ’sewing gold’ and in 1592 cost 5 shillings an ounce”.

I’m terrible at math but I wonder what that would cost in today’s money? Does anyone know?

Wendy continues the story:

Time to rethink - so I went backwards and began again from the “process” point of view beginning with goldsmiths and how the metal is made.

Having done wire drawing (the process of stretching or “drawing” metal out to a longer length) and being familiar with the tools I started there. The actual process which is still used today was a mid fourteenth century invention of Rudolf Nuremburg and was kept secret for several generations until it was introduced to England about 1565 and produced gold, silver and silver gilt wire that was much finer than had been available previously.

As a side bar here- an interesting tidbit;

Wire drawing was used for the manufacture of pins as well. In Great Industries of the United States: being an historic survey 1873 – page 1286

“ In this country wire drawing, upon which the manufacture of pins depends, was first introduced in Plymouth Colony. In October 1666 Nathaniel Robbinson, ‘Wyre-drawer”; petitioned the General Court for aid in establishing the businesses. The court however did not grant his request. In the same month of the next year Joseph Jenks, Sr. desired “ the favor of the court to advance a some for encouragement of wyre-drawing. The court, in reply, thought it “not meet to advance any money on that design; but being desirous to encourage all persons among us in manual arts and trade of publicque vtilitye, and being informed that there are in this towne a sett of tooles for wyer-drawing, and that there be some in this place that are able and skillful in that imploy, the improvement whereof would be of great use in sundry respects, this court doth therefore order the Treasurer of the county to disburse out of the public treasury such a sume of money as will be necessary for the purchase of the said instruments and tooles, not exceeding fifteen pounds ; and the Treasurer and Mayor- Generall Leveret are appointed and empowered to dispose of the said instruments so as may best further the ends proposed, as also to disburse forty shillings for the encouragement of those that shall make cards and pins of the said wiar.”

Here we are at Plimoth in the wardrobe department (surrounded by pins!) and a set of tools had been here! The connections are amazing.

Wendy