Description
Highlights From This Issue
In this issue we learn more about the life and work of two men who, together, made complex parlor wheels in England around 1800. Two unusual small spindle wheels are described, and a contributor from New Zealand is remembered.
John Antis the Inventor
David Bryant continues his study of John Antis and John Planta and how they came together to produce their distinctive wheels. David found records of awards that Antis won, his life history, and some correspondence. Although born in Pennsylvania, Antis lived and worked in Germany and Egypt before moving to the Fulneck Moravian settlement near Leeds in England. He also tells us more about Planta’s life and his connection to Antis.
Two Unusual Spindle Wheels
Keira McFleat describes two small spindle wheels in her collection that have unusual features. She inherited the smaller one from a friend, and it came with a note that said it was “Berber, Morocco.” Although the other one was found in southern Turkey, it looks more like an Asian wheel than the wheels that we associate with Turkey.
In Memoriam: Mary Knox
When Mary Knox contacted me in 2005 about her Web site for identifying spinning wheels from New Zealand, I immediately recruited her to write about them. She wrote articles about some of their distinct structures and about some of the “interesting” men who built them. I share my memories of her.
