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Clues from the high seas: tracing Suriname’s textile histories in the Prize Papers
Viveca Mellegard explains how she used scientific analysis to investigate textile samples seized from a ship sailing from Suriname in 1795.
Histories hidden in textile traditions
At first glance, this set of fifty-nine cotton and silk textile samples look like ordinary swatches of fabric. They come from the records of the High Court of Admiralty and the only clues about their origins are in a note left by conservators in the 1930s. It states that they were originally part of a collection of papers taken from the American ship Illustrious President, which sailed from Suriname to Amsterdam in 1795.
The small, brightly coloured samples raise two research questions.
- Where were they made?
- What and for whom were they intended?
During a three-month placement at The National Archives, I worked to address these questions by assessing the colours and patterns of the textile samples. These, in turn, speak to the role that colonial exchanges played in shaping Suriname’s textile traditions.
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Original article link: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/professional-guidance-and-services/our-research-and-academic-collaboration/our-research-projects/research-projects/from-our-students/tracing-suriname-textile-histories/
