Vintage Redwork Collection – Three Dutch Kids

This is a vintage Redwork splasher from my little collection. I like the Dutch themes on Redwork pieces. Dutch boys and girls or the “Delft” sceneries were very popular in Gemany at the turn of the last century.





But it wasn’t only the pattern of this fleamarket find that made me buy it. This Redwork piece is very neatly stitched with only a thin sewing thread. It gives this Redwork a very delicate "line drawing" effect. Rather unusual and I haven’t seen anything like it in Redwork so far.



I am always trying to find out more about my collection pieces. Up to now, I have not found the pattern source, it might have been a pre-printed pattern which were available from magazines and catalogues also in Germany;´but it could also be that someone created it herself.

What I did find out is that the pattern is a pretty close copy of a picture by the female illustrator Florence Hardy. It was published on postcards approx. 1916 or ealier and was part of a series of pictures featuring the little Dutch girls and boy in different scenes. I know that those postcard where available at least between 1913 and 1918 by the German publishing house Dondorf.