From complex and intricate fancy work to the very practical garments for sailors, many types of knitting are included in this unique collection of Victorian knitting manuals from the Knitting Reference Library located at Winchester School of Art Library, University of Southampton.

Ladies work for sailors, published by the Mission to Seamen. The Richard Rutt Collection, Winchester School of Art Library.

The books were donated by scholar and former bishop Richard Rutt, often referred to as the ‘knitting bishop’ and widely known for his classic book ‘A history of hand knitting’ published by Batsford in 1987. Richard Rutt’s personal library of books, journals, magazines, patterns and his research notes on knitting were donated by him to the University. His intention being that his library joined the Montse Stanley Knitting Collection in recognition of their shared passion and knowledge of knitting developed through their long standing friendship.

How to knit spun silk socks & stockings: with full and simple directions by which persons may teach themselves, by Miss E. Ryder. The Richard Rutt Collection, Winchester School of Art Library.

A particular distinction and strength of Richard Rutt’s collection is the range and number of nineteenth century knitting books first published in the 1830s. These Victorian knitting manuals may be considered as the precursors to the contemporary knitting pattern and the ‘how-to-knit’ books that are still being published over 180 years later. This collection has now been digitised and each book has been copied from cover to cover by the University of Southampton’s Digitisation Unit and are available online via the Visual Arts Data Service (VADS).

The knitting manuals have been made available on VADS as part of the JISC-funded Look-Here! project which was a collaboration between ten partners across the arts education sector. The project sought to develop skills and strategies for digitisation within libraries, museums, and archives in the arts education community.

The stocking-knitter’s manual: a handy book for the work-table by Mrs George Cupples. The Richard Rutt Collection, Winchester School of Art Library.

One of the outputs of the project was a series of case studies by project partners focusing on various different aspects of digitisation in the creative arts. This includes a case study on the Knitting Collections at Winchester School of Art Library by Linda Newington, which can be found on the project website at: http://www.vads.ac.uk/lookhere/casestudies

Hampshire County Council’s Contemporary Art Collection is now available to view online for the very first time.

The collection of nearly 400 pieces, which has been accumulated over 20 years, includes the work of significant British artists, such as limited edition prints by Bridget Riley, Henry Moore, and John Piper, through to more recent additions from Hampshire-based artists or works depicting Hampshire scenes, including a set of works bequeathed to the council by artist Nick Schlee.

White Cloud Over Green Fields by Nick Schlee, 2006, Hampshire County Council Contemporary Art Collection.

The collection of almost 400 works adds to the national collection of over 120,000 digitised images available online through the Visual Arts Data Service (VADS) where Hampshire’s database is held. VADS is a research centre based at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) and provides global online access to hundreds of unique art and design collections from universities, colleges, libraries, museums and archives across the UK, for free use in non-commercial education and research.

Energy, by Antony Gormley, Hampshire County Council Contemporary Art Collection.

The online launch follows the recent Land Sea Sky exhibition at the Winchester Discovery Centre which presented a selection of paintings from the Contemporary Art Collection with a particular focus on rural and coastal landscapes.

Breakwaters by Richard Eurich, Hampshire County Council Contemporary Art Collection.

For more information about Hampshire’s Contemporary Art Collection and its development, see:
http://vads.ac.uk/collections/HANTS