Spinning Wheel, Tow or Hemp - 1959.1.139
Title
Spinning Wheel, Tow or Hemp - 1959.1.139
Subject
Spinning equipment
Identifier
1959.1.139
Description
Possibly used prior to the Civil War by enslaved people on a southern plantation to spin cordage. Note the crude flyer wedged in place by horseshoe nails. The machine works on the "bobbin lead" principle, the flyer and spindle having no direct driving force applied to them. The purpose of the extra hole in the bench is not known. The bench, as well as the wheel, may have been repurposed from an old flax wheel.
Dimensions
L: 22 3/4"
W: 20"
H: 39 1/4"
Wheel diameter: 20"
W: 20"
H: 39 1/4"
Wheel diameter: 20"
Materials
Wood: oak and maple
Date of Manufacture
late 18th century
Geographic or Cultural Origin
United States
Provenance
Samuel Dale Stevens
Bought from Wm. R. Spaulding around 1900
Bought from Wm. R. Spaulding around 1900
Condition
Good
Notes
SDS: "A similar one in the Pa. museum is called a Hemp Wheel"
Collection
Citation
“Spinning Wheel, Tow or Hemp - 1959.1.139,” Marshfield School of Weaving - Textile Equipment Collection, accessed May 4, 2024, https://marshfieldschoolofweaving.omeka.net/items/show/30.