Penélopé, of maandwerk aan het vrouwelijk geslacht toegewijd

The first successful Dutch women's magazine is called in full Penélopé, of maandwerk aan het vrouwelijk geslacht toegewijd: bevattende, de beschrijving en afbeelding van allerhande soorten van vrouwelijke handwerken, benevens eenige lektuur over onderwerpen uit den vrouwelijken kring (Penélopé, or monthly work dedicated to the female sex: containing, the description and illustration of all kinds of female handicrafts, as well as some reading material on subjects from the female circle) (1821-1835). The magazine consists of two parts: 'Handcrafts' and 'Reading'. On this page we mainly look at handicrafts.

Named after Penélopé

The first issue of the magazine opens with a fictional conversation between mother and daughter that functions as a foreword. Through this detour, the editor of the magazine, the well-known writer Anna Barbara van Meerten-Schilperoord, provides information about the new magazine to the readers. Mother and daughter discuss that there are already several such magazines in French and German, but not in 'Dutch'. Strictly speaking, that was not entirely true, because there were predecessors, but Penélopé would become the first long-running Dutch women's magazine.

In the conversation, the mother talks about the mythological Penélopé, who was known for her weaving. In Greek mythology, Penélopé is the wife of Odysseus, who did not return from the years-long Trojan War. Countless suitors vie for her hand, but Penélopé does not want to marry any of them. She says that she first wants to weave the shroud for her elderly father-in-law and only when that work is finished will she make a choice. But at night she pulls out threads, so that the weaving is never finished. The cunning mythological craft heroine is held up as an example to the readers of the magazine. In the title engraving of the magazine, Penélopé is depicted sitting at her loom and surrounded by suitors.

Subscribe and read

Publishing a new book or magazine was expensive, so booksellers (who were also publishers at the time) asked people to subscribe to ensure sufficient customers. The list of subscribers was then published in the magazine, allowing readers then (and researchers now) to see who had subscribed. In Penélopé, Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, Anna Paulowna, was at the top of the list. She had subscribed to six copies of the magazine.

Penélopé was published between 1821 and 1835 in separate instalments, which could be bundled into large volumes every two years. Each instalment consisted of two parts: ‘Handwerken’ (Handcrafts) and ‘Lektuur’ (Reading). The handicrafts section contains small black-and-white drawings and some beautiful hand-coloured plates. A subscription to such a magazine was not for everyone because of the high costs, but in the early 19th century publicly accessible reading rooms and libraries were created with government money, where magazines such as Penélopé could also be read and borrowed for a fee. This made the magazine accessible to a larger group of women.

Part of the content consists of explanations of craft techniques and the making of workpieces, which mainly have a decorative function. For example:

• A painting of fruits and flowers on cloth or velvet
• A bell cord with flowers (to ring the servants' bell)
• A gibéciére (pouch) made of macramé
• A necklace made of melon seeds
• A cigar case made of black velvet with petit pointe embroidery
• Watch straps: knitted, embroidered or with beads
• A painted hand-écran (fan) made of wood and silk
• A Masonic apron with gold embroidery
• A medallion with flower decorations made of human hair
• A paper column as a mantelpiece ornament, to store matches
• Pincushions in the shape of fruits, filled with iron filings to prevent rust
• Cords made on a pitchfork (lucet) or a tube with six pins

Descriptions of household textiles and clothing are hard to find, apart from a single pattern for a lace cap. They are about ‘beautiful handicrafts’, not ‘useful handicrafts’. The projects and techniques are intended for girls and young women who can spend time and money to beautify their home environment. Embroidering flower motifs seems to be the most popular activity. Occasionally, variations are mentioned that are suitable for keeping small children busy, such as stringing beads or decorating winter slippers for grandpa.

Mrs. van Meerten-Schilperoord believed that the craft texts should be clear and that the writing style was subordinate to that. The ‘reading of literature’ is discussed in the narrative section of the magazine. The editor advised readers to follow the instructions carefully, because then it usually became clear what to do. And above all, it was important to work neatly: “The mark of neatness and neatness […] should be stamped on every work; especially on that which comes from a woman’s hand.” 

Effort for materials

A contemporary craftsman cycles to the local wool shop or fills an online shopping basket with craft supplies in no time. At the beginning of the 19th century, things were of course different. Regularly, an order had to be placed with a craftsman to be able to make a work of Penélopé, for example for a basket of straw that could then be decorated with silk and ribbons. The potter, tinsmith and stained glass artist also appear and sometimes a specific trader in Amsterdam or Utrecht is mentioned. Apparently, they made this effort to obtain the right silk or velvet. 

Nevertheless, the reader could not avoid making some of the supplies herself, such as paint from pigments, braided cords or glue. Here is the recipe for tragacanth gum, a glue that does not bleed through and can be used cold: “Soak them for 24 hours in cold water, boil them gently in the straw bath, wring them through a thin fabric, pour some parchment glue through them, dilute them with brandy and store them in a closed bottle.” You can also make fish glue. It doesn't say what it smells like.  

Craft techniques such as spinning, weaving and embroidery have existed since ancient times. The history of knitting also goes back centuries, but crochet is relatively new. It originated at the beginning of the 19th century. In several international sources, Penélopé is mentioned as the first place where a crochet pattern was published and the term ‘crochet’ is used for crochet. 

Working with a crochet, heckle or a tambour needle seems to be a special kind of thing. There are young people who can do very well with it; others hardly ever learn it skillfully or quickly. The works made with them are very popular at the moment. We would like to mention a few of them, but first describe the actual stitch in a few words, as clearly as possible. For this, one uses ‘a tambour needle, with a hook at the front, which is screwed into a case’. (Penélope, part II, 1822/1823, p. 93)

Next, crochet stitches are explained, with which one can make a crocheted purse.