Ruskin's theories and work were influential in the setting up of the Ruskin Linen Industry, Keswick, and the production of Ruskin lace. When he died in January 1900, his family was offered a prestigious burial place for the deceased in Westminster Abbey, London. They declined, however, and he was buried in the local churchyard at Coniston (UK). A contemporary description of the funeral noted that: “..... The coffin was covered with a pall given by the Ruskin Linen Industry of Keswick, lined with bright crimson silk and embroidered with the motto, “Unto this Last.” It is not clear who embroidered the pall, but it is possible that it was worked in Ruskin lace.
See also the TRC Needles entry on the John Ruskin Prize 2014.
Sources:
- COOK, Edward Tyas (1911). The Life of John Ruskin, vol. 2, 1860-1900, London: John Allen and Company, p. 539.
- PRICKETT, Elizabeth (1999), Ruskin Lace and Linen Work, London: B.T. Batsford Ltd., revised edition (first printed 1985).
GVE