Lorina Bulwer - Highlighting stitching for wellbeing

Embroidery and needlework are decorative textile crafts requiring fine motor skills and hand eye dexterity.

Textile artists over the centuries have applied the practice to provide beautiful textiles and also channel a freedom of expression. Looking at the textile art of Lorina Bulwer demonstrates the additional creative opportunity to use needlework as a form of visceral emotional release.

Lorina Bulwer (c.1838-1912)

Lorina Bulwer lived in Great Yarmouth with her parents and siblings, where she remained until her parents died. Her siblings were unable to take her in and she went to Great Yarmouth Workhouse, her brother Edgar agreed to pay for her keep there in 1893 when Lorina was 55 years old.

The Workhouse had around 500 inmates, including around 60 who were classified as ‘lunatics’ which included Lorina. Lunatic was a medical diagnosis which does not map well into contemporary terminology, so all that can be said is Lorina was diagnosed with some sort of mental health problem.

Whilst she was in the Workhouse Lorina made amazing pieces of embroidery, one of which is at the Thackray and a further three are in Norwich Castle Museum. The scale of her work shows serious dedication to her craft and the pieces are made up of scraps of material sewn together.

In her work she describes people in her life, shares gossip, makes accusations and hints at jokes. The pieces have little punctuation and read like a stream of consciousness, although there’s definitely areas which were carefully planned.

It is often asked why Lorina was allowed to make these pieces, they are quite rude about some very important people of the time, and she cannot have kept them a secret. We don’t know if it was simply something to keep her occupied and quiet or a form of creative therapy.

Whatever the explanation Lorina’s work is fascinating and extremely personal.

Lorina Bulwer EMBROIDERY SCROLL AT THACKRAY

When the Thackray museum opens we will be displaying Lorina’s scroll. Alongside her work, we will be displaying creations by members of the public created during lockdown.

Like Lorina we are unable to move about the world as we once did, and the lockdown is having a profound effect on people’s mental health and wellbeing.

So, we invite you to explore Lorina’s work further and have a go at crafting something. You don’t need to be an expert or even have any prior experience.

Click on the videos to find out more about the project, get some guidance on getting creative, and details on how your piece could be put on display.

Share your creations

Via social media on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and tag @thackraymuseum or you can email our curator Laura Sellers

Writing wellbeing with Lorina

Here Thackray Museum of Medicine brings you a creative writing tutorial, inspired by the incredible embroidered scrolls of Lorina Bulwer.

Share images of your work by tagging @ThackrayMuseum on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook or email to Laura Sellers