The Rag Trade: The People Who Made Our Clothes
by Pam Inder Amberley, 272 pages, £16.99
Pam Inder’s new book could have been subtitled ‘gems from the archives’ as it is based on little-known sources held in record offices. The author uses documents such as letters, diaries and business records to tell the stories of 11 people who worked in the clothing industry in the 19th century. The trades covered include dressmaking, millinery, tailoring, shoemaking, framework knitting, corset manufacturing and lacemaking.
As a former museum curator working with costume collections, Pam Inder is well placed to write The Rag Trade. It’s authoritative yet highly readable, and although technical details about each of the industries are given, the stories in the book focus more on the workers’ daily lives.
They offer an insight into the challenges faced by someone setting up a business in the 19th century; the often difficult relationships with customers, including the issue of credit; their long, working hours and poor health; the complexities of employer-employee relations and new working regulations; and the fine line between success and bankruptcy.
Whether you have an ancestor who worked in the rag trade or not, there will be much to interest you in this book. Michelle Higgs is an author specialising in social history and family history