18th Century Women’s Pockets
Additional Resources
Pockets of History: contains new digital photographs of over three hundred tie-on pockets of the 1700 and 1800s, with overviews and close-ups of details
Pockets at the V&A:
Make Your Own Pocket
Pockets (18cNewEnglandLife)
Pockets! (Diary of a Mantua Maker)
Patterns of Fashion 1: Englishwomen’s dresses and their construction, 1660-1860
- V&A 1411-1900, unfinished pocket of linen embroidered with silk, England, c. 1700-1725
- V&A T.281&A-1910;, pair of linen pockets embroidered with silk, England, c. 1700-1725
- V&A T.730B-1913, linen pocket embroidered with wool, England, c. 1700-1725
- V&A T.697:B, C-1913, pair of linen twill pockets embroidered with wool, England, c. 1700-1725
- V&A CIRC.86-1938, a pair of linen pockets with silk embroidery, England, c. 1700-1725
- V&A T.208&A-1970, pocket-backs of linen embroidered with silk, England, c. 1700-1725
- Met 1974.101.1, pockets with silk embroidery, Britain, c. 1700-1750
- V&A T.42-1935, linen pocket embroidered with yellow silk backstitching, England, c. 1718-1720
- V&A T.41&A-1935, unfinished pocket fronts, showing ink design on linen, partially embroidered in silk, England, c. 1718-1720
- BATMC 2004.468, twill cotton with cotton (or linen?) embroidery, c. 1720-1750
- CW 1989-437, silk on linen, England, c. 1737
- MoL, c. 1740-1760; “A pair of pockets joined with linen tape. The fronts of the pockets are made of white cotton embroidered in coloured wools with satin. The stem and chain are stitched in a floral pattern. The backs of the pockets are made of linen. The fabric is turned up inside the pocket to form a double bag.”
- CW 1958-180, crewel on linen cotton twill, America, c. 1740-1770
- AFAM P1.2001.290, crewel on linen, worked in cross, chain, and outline stitches, Pennsylvania, c. 17401770
- CW 1963-11, crewel on linen cotton, New England, c. 1740-1770
- V&A T.87A, B-1978, silk pockets, England, c. 1745
- PMA 1930-30-36, pocket with Irish stitch in wool and silk, America, mid-18th century
- Met 1979.346.107, linen pockets, America
- LACMA M.59.21.1a-b, outline embroidery in silk on linen, England, mid-18th century
- LACMA M.67.8.89a-b, silk embroidered on linen, England, mid-18th century
- PVMA 1915.18.05, cotton calico, America, second half of the 18th century
- Pocket made by Susanna Yeakel in the second half of the 18th century. “This crewel work pocket illustrates the impact the English neighbors had on the Schwenkfelders. This type of embroidery was much more associated with the English than it would have been with Germans, and was seen in 18th century America throughout New England and the Mid Atlantic. One of the Susanna Yeakels … stitched and sewed this treasure made of handspun linen with wool embroidery. On the reverse is her monogram 'S Y' in cross stitch.”
- LACMA M.67.8.90a-b, cotton and linen embroidered in wool, England, 1753
- V&A T.150-1970, a pocket of matelassé linen (originally woven into a pocket shape), England, c. 1760-1775
- PVMA 1915.18.04, linen pocket with crewel wool embroidery, c. 1760-1800
- CWF Primary Source of the Month, crewel wool on linen, America, c. 1765-1775
- SPNEA 1991.1425, linen pocket with blue silk embroidery, c. 1760-1800
- OSV 26.67.4, crewel embroidery on linen, c. 1770-1810
- OSV 26.67.21, c. 1760-1810: “Fabric at bottom front is a cotton and linen weave, which has been embroidered. Top and back fabrics of pocket are linen … Irregular placement of embroidery on both sides of opening indicates that the embroidery is a remnant remade into a pocket.”
- MoL, c. 1771-1780; “A pair of pockets attached to each other with tape. These pockets are made of white linen embroidered with polychrome wools in a symmetrical floral design centreing on a basket. Backed with plain canvas.”
- MFA 98.1802a, single piece of pocket-shaped calico with slit; English, used in New England, last quarter of the 18th century
- SPNEA 1991.1424, patchwork pocket, c. 1775-1800
- MFA 40.80, crewel embroidered pocket with the balloon ascent of Vincent Lunardi, England, 1787
- MFA 99.664.22, cotton pocket with one remaining tape tie; Lexington, late 18th or early 19th century
- MFA 43.252, embroidered patchwork pocket, England
- SPNEA 1991.1427, patchwork pocket, c. 1780-1820
- CW 1964-411, white dimity, New York, c. 1785-1810
- Met 1979.346.200, embroidered linen pockets, America, 1796
- OSV 26.67.41, patchwork pocket embroidered with initials, c. 1800
