2022-2023 Exhibit
Wheels of Industry:
New England Spinning Wheels
An exhibit of New England spinning wheels and related tools from the collection of Peter and Nancy Cook
About the Wheels of Industry exhibit...
The ancient craft of spinning – once a necessity for creating textiles for clothing and furnishings - is now a craft pursued by artisans and hobbyists as an expression of personal creativity. Wheels of Industry: New England Spinning Wheels, a new exhibit at the Colonel Paul Wentworth House, features several early examples of these important tools of domestic industry.
Drawn primarily from the collection of Tare Shirt Farm in Berwick, Maine, Wheels of Industry features a variety of early spinning wheels, including great wheels, treadle wheels, double flyers, a chair wheel, and a castle wheel. While some of the wheels were made by local artisans, the majority were produced throughout New England and, in one case, Quebec.