December 22, 2015

2138 FRANCE (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) - Lacemakers from Villard sur Doron


Villard sur Doron is a montain village with almost 700 inhabitants, located in Savoie, along the road from Albertville to Beaufort, known in nowadays for the ski resort Bisanne 1500. Traditional basic activities in the region were always agriculture and pastoralism, but in 18th century the women began to make lace, especially in winter, this work bringing sizeable income in the home.

This local craft developed, as is mentioned in the trade statistics from 1820. After the annexation of Savoy to France (1860), this trade was disrupted, due to the introduction of customs duties (France-Italy). However, in 1900 a school of lacemakers was established at Villard sur Doron, and three years later was passed a law which introduced the learning of handmade lace in schools.

In 1913, Savoy participated to the World Expo at Ghent, together with the major lace schools. It modestly exposed the lace and embroidery made by the Savoy schools, that got a gold medal. Then came the machine-made lace and especially WWI, interrupting the supply of wire causing the decline of bobbin lace.

About the stamps
The first stamp is part of the series Portraits de régions No 8 - La France a voir (Portrait of Regions No 10). All 10 stamps have the same face value (0,54 EUR)
• The gorges of the Ardèche
• The volcanoes of Auvergne
• The forest of Brocéliande
• The disabled
• The Catalan towers
• The castle of Chaumont-sur-Loire - It's on the postcard 2138
• The Croisette
• The mill of Valmy
• Calanchede Piana
• The Grotto of Lourdes 

The second stamp is part of the series Prendre le taureau par les cornes, about which I wrote here.

References
La dentelle en Savoie (french) - Dentelle quand tu nous tiens
Villard sur Doron - Official website

Sender: Mickey
Sent from Saint-Hilaire du Touvet (Rhône-Alpes / France), on 09.12.2015

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