Fragment of a Dress, 2022.

Commissioned by the Brontë Parsonage Museum, Howarth West Yorkshire.

Textiles and clothing can hold powerful memories, reminding us of people, places and special moments in our lives. The Brontë Parsonage Museum collections include many small fragments of cloth associated with the Brontë family, and especially Charlotte Brontë. These pieces have been kept as priceless keepsakes; a souvenir of a literary heroine or a memento of a dear friend.

Today, despite living in world of ‘fast-fashion’ and disposable attitudes to clothing, many of us still keep hold of things that help us to remember. Inspired by the precious scraps of clothing in the collections, Hannah was inspired to ask people about the clothes that mean something special to them. She invited visitors to the museum to share stories about a significant item of clothing that they treasure, leaving a hand written note about the item and what it means to them. These touching and highly personal responses have been carefully embroidered onto silk organza, overlapping and layering a mesh of memories.

‘Fragment of a Dress’ was created in the spirit of a mid-19th century silhouette. Following the exhibition the work was deconstructed during a performance.

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In June 2022,  Hannah Lamb invited visitors to tell her about a piece of clothing that was special to them. The resulting stories were sometimes heartwarming and joyful, but also often deeply touching; “My mother was a seamstress…I still have a wool coat she wore often. When I wear it, I feel her hugging me”.

The clothing chosen ranges from everyday favourites “My grey hoodie…It helps keep me warm when I am out walking the dog” to those worn on special occasions “My purple and Black wedding skirt and corset, handmade by myself”. 

There are many references to handmade items, that have a special resonance, as well as items repurposed and adapted from vintage materials; “1920’s Chinese silk lounge dress… subsequently refashioned into a short cloak”. Home dressmaking and up-cycling or repurposing of materials would have been commonplace in the Brontë’s time.

All of these stories are deeply personal, offering an intimate peek into the wardrobes (and lives) of strangers. 

Read more about the project or download the full transcript here.

Fragment of a Dress, 2023.

Live performance with Jenny Skinner at Sunny Bank Mill.

A live performance was created in collaboration with performance artist Jenny Skinner. During the performance the embroidered skirt was deconstructed by audience members, each one cutting a piece to take away as a memento. The fragments of stitched memories and stories were dispersed, echoing the original Brontë dress fragments and the nature of memory itself.

A short film captures the performance. View a trailer here.

Fragment of a Dress was made with the generous help of students and staff at Bradford School of Art:

Mary Whitehouse

Jo Briscoe

Sharon Turner

Suzanne Wright

Sarah Hilditch

Judy Ballard

Catherine Hartley

Jenny Bennigsen

Nicky Brunger

Karen Charlton

Anna Kingston

Jenny Bradbury

Vicky Poulson

Karey Taylor

Janet Gore

Natalie Dunphy

Pippa Foulds

Lois Underwood

Helen Farrar

Sarah Bray