Set of flounces

Alcide Roussel was one of the outstanding lace designers of the 19th century. He designed this set of flounces, which was shown at the Paris International Exhibition of 1867.

The market for all qualities of lace grew in the the mid 19th century. Handmade lace was a status symbol that demonstrated wealth and position. In the 1850s and 1860s people began to spend large quantities on luxury lace as they had done in the 18th century. The market leaders were large international companies. Auguste Lefébure at Bayeux made this piece. Verdé, Delisle et Cie of Paris and Brussels made lace for such leaders of fashion as the Empress Eugénie of France. Both of these manufacturers commissioned designs from Roussel. They were prominent at international exhibitions where they showed increasingly elaborate and technically accomplished pieces like this example. They also made lower quality lace for the mass market. This was a period of experimentation. Manufacturers of handmade lace recognised that technical and stylistic excellence were needed to compete successfully against the threat of machine-made lace.