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The Hastings Embroidery was commissioned by Group Captain Ralph Ward and made by the 
It was on public display in Hastings, firstly in the Town Hall and then on the pier in a dome-shaped building.
It is currently in storage, and apart from two panels on permanent display in the Town Hall, cannot be viewed, despite local protests. It has been said that to preserve the cloth and applique that special display facilities would have to be constructed, and that the cost would be prohibitive.
In March 2018 Hastings Borough Council announced that it would be "very happy for any organization to have it free of charge to display", provided they have the space and appropriate conditions for preservation.
Between May and October 2019 all 27 panels of the Hastings Embroidery were displayed to the public in Rye, East Sussex, for the first time since it was locked up in storage. The exhibition was accompanied by an immersive media installation by Tim Hopkins and newly commissioned music piece entitled ''Stitched'' by Robert Thomas.
Royal School of Needlework
The Royal School of Needlework (RSN) is a hand embroidery school in the United Kingdom, founded in 1872 and based at Hampton Court Palace since 1987.
History
The RSN began as the School of Art Needlework in 1872, founded by Lady Victoria Welby ...
in 1965 to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings nrf, Batâle dé Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman Conque ...
the following year.
Intended to be a modern-day equivalent of the Bayeux Tapestry, the embroidery consists of 27 panels, each , and shows 81 great events in British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
history during the 900 years from 1066 to 1966. It took 22 embroiderers 10 months to finish.
The Embroidery is worked in appliqué
Appliqué is ornamental needlework in which pieces or patches of fabric in different shapes and patterns are sewn or stuck onto a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. It is commonly used as decoration, especially on garments. The technique ...
by hand, with the addition of couched threads and cords, tweed
Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...
from Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, fabrics from the Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
, and feathers from London Zoo.
It was on public display in Hastings, firstly in the Town Hall and then on the pier in a dome-shaped building.
It is currently in storage, and apart from two panels on permanent display in the Town Hall, cannot be viewed, despite local protests. It has been said that to preserve the cloth and applique that special display facilities would have to be constructed, and that the cost would be prohibitive.
In March 2018 Hastings Borough Council announced that it would be "very happy for any organization to have it free of charge to display", provided they have the space and appropriate conditions for preservation.
Between May and October 2019 all 27 panels of the Hastings Embroidery were displayed to the public in Rye, East Sussex, for the first time since it was locked up in storage. The exhibition was accompanied by an immersive media installation by Tim Hopkins and newly commissioned music piece entitled ''Stitched'' by Robert Thomas.
References