<p>Detta arbete har två syften. Det ena syftet är att beskriva virkningens utveckling i Sverige från de först kända föremålen fram till 1900-talets början. Det andra syftet är att initiera forskning inom den textila tekniken virkning. Med utgångspunkt i dessa syften har jag arbetat utifrån följande problemformuleringar. När har tekniken virkning börjat användas och hur kan den ha uppstått? Hur har virkningen utvecklats? Vilka termer har använts för att beskriva tekniken? Hur har virkningen varit ansedd under den undersökta perioden? Min ansats har varit hermeneutisk och arbetet är utfört i form av en kvalitativ och deskriptiv litteraturstudie. Det innebär att jag har tolkat texter kring tekniken virkning för att sedan begränsa och strukturera urvalet.</p><p>Arbetet visar på att virkning är en, i förhållande till andra textila tekniker, ung teknik. Tidigare har tekniken tidigast kunna dateras till slutet av 1700-talet. En virkad pung hos Kungliga Myntkabinettet med dateringen 1693 gör att jag vill korrigera dateringen till 1600-talet. Det är osäkert hur tekniken virkning har uppstått, två teorier är att tekniken ska ha sitt ursprung i påtning eller tambursömmen. Arbetets ståndpunkt är dock att en kombination av påtning och tambursöm är ett troligare ursprung. Det är i samband med industrialiseringen av Europa som virkningen växer fram som teknik. Det kan förklaras med en ökad garntillgång och billigare virkbeskrivningar. Vidare belyser arbetet den flora av termer som de första virkbeskrivningarna innehåller. Avslutningsvis behandlas virkningens anseende med utgångspunkt i den debatt som pågick vid slutet av 1800-talet.</p>

Detta arbete har två syften. Det ena syftet är att beskriva virkningens utveckling i Sverige från de först kända föremålen fram till 1900-talets början. Det andra syftet är att initiera forskning inom den textila tekniken virkning. Med utgångspunkt i dessa syften har jag arbetat utifrån följande problemformuleringar. När har tekniken virkning börjat användas och hur kan den ha uppstått? Hur har virkningen utvecklats? Vilka termer har använts för att beskriva tekniken? Hur har virkningen varit ansedd under den undersökta perioden? Min ansats har varit hermeneutisk och arbetet är utfört i form av en kvalitativ och deskriptiv litteraturstudie. Det innebär att jag har tolkat texter kring tekniken virkning för att sedan begränsa och strukturera urvalet. Arbetet visar på att virkning är en, i förhållande till andra textila tekniker, ung teknik. Tidigare har tekniken tidigast kunna dateras till slutet av 1700-talet. En virkad pung hos Kungliga Myntkabinettet med dateringen 1693 gör att jag vill korrigera dateringen till 1600-talet. Det är osäkert hur tekniken virkning har uppstått, två teorier är att tekniken ska ha sitt ursprung i påtning eller tambursömmen. Arbetets ståndpunkt är dock att en kombination av påtning och tambursöm är ett troligare ursprung. Det är i samband med industrialiseringen av Europa som virkningen växer fram som teknik. Det kan förklaras med en ökad garntillgång och billigare virkbeskrivningar. Vidare belyser arbetet den flora av termer som de första virkbeskrivningarna innehåller. Avslutningsvis behandlas virkningens anseende med utgångspunkt i den debatt som pågick vid slutet av 1800-talet.

Silk-weaving in Sweden during the 19th century. Textiles and texts - An evaluation of the source material. With the rich material available, 19th century silk-weaving invites to studies on industrialisation processes. The purpose of this licentiate thesis is to present and discuss an empirical material regarding silk production in Sweden in the 19th century, to examine the possibilities and problems of different kinds of materials when used as source materials, and to describe how this material can be systematized and analysed in relation to the perspective of a textile scientific interpretation. The introductory sections of the thesis provide a background to textile research and the subject of textile science. This is followed by an overview of previous research on silk-weaving in Sweden and a historical overview of silk-weaving in Sweden, the Jacquard machine, and the K.A. Almgren Sidenväveri, where large parts of the source material have been preserved. After these overviews, the research material is described and systematized: first the main materials, textiles, machines and other objects, and then the various written sources. By way of conclusion, the empirical material is summarized in a critical discussion where the various groups of materials are evaluated in comparison to one another. A discussion on theory and methodology regarding objects as sources and the use of experience-based knowledge in academic research is developed in connection to the critical discussion. Finally, the potential of the material is demonstrated through a textile example. The presentation is an introduction to the cultural-historical analysis that will follow in the PhD thesis. Here, the empirical material will be analysed through the use of knowledge in handicrafts, which may create new dimensions of silk production in Sweden and the complexity of the industrialisation process.

Helena Larsdotter Lindelia – what’s new? A follow-up to Inger Estham’s research from 1974 on the Småland Baroque embroiderer. Helena Larsdotter Lindelia is an uncommon example of a named Swedish female embroiderer from the Baroque period. Swedish churches and museums house a significant collection of historical church textiles. These textiles, including Lindelia’s works, fall under cultural heritage protection laws. My objective in tracing Lindelia’s known works over time was to examine how the perspective on shared cultural heritage and practices related to the conservation of culturally protected textiles have evolved over time. Additionally, I have aimed to determine whether the perception of Lindelia's works has changed since the embroiderer was named in 1974. To achieve this, I conducted a comparative analysis of written source materials, images, and textile objects, supplemented by discourse analysis. To perform the comparative analysis, I first conducted a comprehensive inventory of all preserved works by Lindelia.  I have successfully managed to relocate most of Lindelia’s currently known works. A central concept in my thesis is heritage-making, and I view the relocation of several works from churches to museums in the late 19th century as a step in the heritage-making of older church textiles. Moreover, even the works of Lindelia that remain in churches today are now regarded more as cultural heritage objects than as functional items, being out of use. I have been able to state that after Agnes Geijer from the Pietas textile studio drew attention to the "Småland studio" in the 1940s, a small increase in the conservation of Lindelia’s works became evident. Following Inger Estham's research in the 1970s, there was yet another increase in awareness of the cultural-historical value of Lindelia's textile works. However, it is worth noting that she remains largely unknown outside these circles despite her uniqueness as a named female Baroque embroiderer with nearly 50 preserved works, which is quite remarkable.

The interest for doing this study is developed during my time as a student in textile history atUppsala university, Sweden. Textile history, as it is taught in Uppsala, uses both practical andtheoretical knowledge as a base for analysing, understanding and interpreting, textiles as sourcematerial in research. As a student in textile history I have sometimes experienced a lack ofunderstanding for the position it takes in the academic field, both from people within the textilehistorical field and from the outside. In this study, I take the opportunity to explore this position.I understand textile history research as a field in between the practical and theoretical.Knowledge in craft are used as a base for understanding source material, but are then oftenconnected to the theoretical framework of Material culture studies (MCS) for interpretation.But, even though this is an often-used theory, the problems of finding relevant texts and frame-works are difficult.By generating a grounded theory about the field of craft- and practical research in Swe-den, and then moving on to see what kind of literature the field of MCS can offer, I discuss theposition that textile historical research take between them. The generated theory shows that themain concern in the field of practical research are the aim to be an accepted part of the academy.The analysis of the literature in the field of MCS shows that the areas of technology and materialsciences need tools to understand the human aspect of production. From this I conclude thattextile history, as a field that is already part of creating a meeting between practical researchand MCS, could well take up the position to write its own theories. Theories grounded in prac-tical knowledge, but as a part of the field of MCS. Doing that would be of gain for both fields,and for the textile historians inhabiting and creating a meeting in between the fields.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Conventional interpretations of WWII hold that the war brought the United States out of the Great Depression and laid the path for future economic prosperity. However, this was not the case for all businesses and industries. During WWII, unprecedented production output was required of U.S. industries to supply the great “Arsenal of Democracy.” Industrial mobilization required the creation of new agencies and commissions to manage the nation’s resources. These organizations created policies that deeply impacted U.S. industries involved in war production. Policies governing such areas as the allocation of raw materials, transportation of finished goods, and distribution of war contracts created challenges for businesses that often resulted in lost productivity and in some cases, loss of profitability. Government regulation of the labor force and labor problems such as labor shortages, high absenteeism and turnover rates, and labor disputes presented further challenges for businesses navigating the wartime economy. Most studies of WWII industrial mobilization have focused on large corporations in high priority industries, such as the aircraft, petroleum, or steel industries, which achieved great success during the war. This thesis presents a case study of The Real Silk Hosiery Mills of Indianapolis, Indiana, a company that is representative of small and mid-sized companies that produced lower priority goods. The study demonstrates that the policies created by the military and civilian wartime agencies favored large corporations and had a negative affect on some businesses like Real Silk. As such,the economic boost associated with the war did not occur across the board.