I know there are many in the ranks who have studied needlework history. I'm wondering if the bellpulls we now make are based on the old-time bellpulls the ladies of the house would ring to summon the housekeeper, butler, whatever.
I am a collector of bells and got to thinking it might be kind of neat to do a bellpull and actually attach a bell to it. Novel idea? (I'm sure not.)
Anyway, some info from those more knowledgeable than I would be greatly appreciated.
Helen in Washington, the State
The bellpull you see wouldn't be far off from the needlework, but it would reach to the ceiling, where it hung from a wire. That wire worked via pulley system through holes in the walls to the kitchen where it would ring a bell *there*. That would cause the servant to seek what was wanted. The diferent bells would ring different tones to say which room wanted help.
Think looooong ribbon with tassle. That's what was pulled.
-georg
The bell pulls in my grandmothers house had long, furry velvet pulls and when the bell was activated down by the kitchen area, there was a board with lots of bells on it, all with a note below saying which room the bell related to. The bells seemed to be on springs and after they were pulled and rang, they still trembled and jiggled for quite awhile so it was easy to see which one had been rung, even if you did not get to it immediately.
By the time I remember them, it was war time and one could have pulled bells forever and nobody was answering, just the cook and she would shrug her shoulders and mutter something about the children in this house lol
It is the same kind of bell pull, but the pull was in one room (drawing room, library, ladies' withdrawing room, etc.) and the bell was in another area where the servants would be. I think one of us has been reading too many historical romance novels lately. :-)) I just finished reading "Trouble With Harry". It was my favorite of the ones I've read. I didn't want to smack Plum, like I did with the ladies of "Men in Kilts" (what "real" woman would go to a sheep farm in Scotland and not bring a pair of pants (trousers) :-)) with her??? or "Corset Diaries". :-))) Liz from Humbug
(drawing
Well, that's disappointing. I may do it anyway, historical accuracy be darned!
Helen in Washington, the State
Go for it! There is no reason that a young (or older) woman with a sense of humor couldn't put a bell on the bottom of her bell pull. :-)) Liz from Humbug
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