| Creator Name | Royal School of Needlework (1872-)
The RSN began as the School of Art Needlework in 1872, founded by Lady Victoria Welby. The first President was Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, Queen Victoria's third daughter, known to the RSN as Princess Helena. She received help from William Morris and many of his friends in the Arts and Crafts movement. The School received its royal prefix in March 1875 when Queen Victoria consented to become its first patron. The word "Art" was dropped from the title in 1922.
Its initial premises was a small apartment on Sloane Street, London, employing 20 women. The school had grown to 150 students, moving in 1903 to Exhibition Road, near to the Victoria and Albert Museum. The purpose-built building was designed by a group of architects, including prominent British Arts and Crafts architect James Leonard Williams (d.1926).
The RSN established a Studio which works new bespoke embroidery commissions and replicas of antique textiles as well as restoration and conservation projects. The work of the Studio has been used in many important events, including a joint effort with Toye in producing the velvet cushions on which the Royal Crowns were carried into Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of King George VI.
In 1953, the School created the gold embroidery on the Purple Robe of Estate, part of the coronation robes of Queen Elizabeth II.
The school moved from Princes Gate in Kensington to Hampton Court Palace in 1987, occupying rooms in Christopher Wren's construction. In 2011, the school was responsible for hand appliquéing machine-made floral lace motifs onto silk net (tulle) for the wedding dress of Kate Middleton, now Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge. |
| Custodial History | The Hammercloth was originally made by the Royal School of Needlework in 1878 - a legend embroidered on the lower left hem reads 'The Royal School of Needlework 1878'. The Hammercloth has been consistently rehung every time a reigning monarch has visited the Hall. It was originally called The Tapestry but by 1903 the Hall's Council minutes record it being called the Hammercloth.
The name 'Hammercloth' could be from the metal thread used in the embroidery which was first hammered flat. However, it is more likley that the name comes from the heavy and weatherproof fabrics decorated with embroidery, gemstones and gold cloth used adorn the seat of the coachman of a state or family horse and carriage.
Given to the Royal School of Needlework in 1994 for repairs. Further repairs were undertaken to it by Mrs Heather Fordham and Miss Jo Dixey on 21 April 1994 onsite who took photographs for the School's records. In 1996 six new silk tassels were made for the Hammercloth by Mrs Ann Butcher, Royal School of Needlework based at Hampton Court Palace to replace missing ones. In 1997 the Hammercloth was loaned to the School for an exhibition at Hampton Court Palace to mark its 125th anniversary.
The Hammercloth was suffering wear and tear from 120+ years of use so that it was sent to the Royal School of Needlework in 1999, where the embroidered Coat of Arms of the Hammercloth was removed from its existing red velvet background, which had split in several place, and reattached to a new red velvet backing. The original braiding and tasselled fringing were reapplied and the transferred section rejoined to the original top band of velvet. The work was completed by the beginning of November for the Festival of Remembrance that month.
In 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth, the RSM removed the embroidered 'E' and replaced it with a new emboridered 'C' for King Charles III. |