I recently gate-crashed my daughter’s research trip to Nantucket, a delightful island off the Massachusetts coast and once the centre of the whaling industry. She is researching scrimshaw, a form of folk art produced by sailors during long sea voyages in the 18th and 19th centuries. Whalebone was the plastic of the 1800s, fashioned into all manner of objects, from umbrella swifts to busks worn inside corsets and resting between the breasts of loved ones left behind to pace the widow’s walks that crowned 19th-century homes. Alongside lightship baskets, these intricately carved objects fill the galleries of what is now a rather bougie resort town.

Scrimshaw is undoubtedly a valuable part of the island’s intangible cultural heritage. Yet whales are now a protected species and, as with ivory, the buying and selling of whalebone is heavily restricted. What, then, becomes of the livelihood of the last remaining scrimshander? The world has changed. Products once made from whale have been replaced by petroleum-based alternatives, while contemporary tastes have largely turned away from displaying teeth and bone in the home. If scrimshanders are to survive, they must adapt to the cultural context in which their work is produced. Their meticulous draftsmanship and monochrome hatching techniques could be translated into objects that appeal to today’s tourists hunting for meaningful souvenirs. For crafts to survive, they must evolve in lockstep with the changing world around them.

In this issue, we explore legacy: the things we inherit that shape who we are and help us understand our place in the world. Objects matter, yet legacy can be a burden as well as a blessing. The Bayeux Tapestry will be on display in London for the first time in 900 years, as humanity finds itself at a crossroads amid the looming presence of artificial intelligence. We examine how museums shoulder the responsibility of caring for the objects that document our shared history; how value is assigned to objects; the politics of authenticity; and how objects move from a utilitarian domain to the museum.

Kim Winter explores the journey of willow baskets from the domestic sphere to the Design Fair, with Eddie Glew. Laura Ayala, Karen Selk, and Liz McLellan reject the trappings of modernity and look to nature for more human-centred alternatives, while Sonia Ashmore paints a nuanced picture of the lives of handloom artisans in Bengal. John Alexander Skelton re-examines the legacy of the Huguenot weavers of Spitalfields through the lens of contemporary fashion in his collection XXI.

I leave you with a question: What will you leave behind for the next generation to inherit?

If you are in London this month, I hope to see you at one of the many textile-related events taking place across the capital. Once again, I am inspired by the enthusiasm, generosity, and spirit of the textile community. Thank you all for your hard work in conceiving and hosting such an interesting roster of events. 

Polly Leonard, Founder