PENELOPE
Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd. of Manchester, England published embroidery transfers and pattern booklets from 1895 to 1959. The "Penelope" brand itself was originally registered in 1886 - nine years before the establishment of the company that sold the embroidery transfers that were their original stock. William Briggs originally had a partner, William Deighton, and both were experimenters looking for a better method for transferring embroidery designs to fabric. Even though it was Briggs who was awarded the patent, there was a legal battle over it, and it's unclear who actually invented the process that ultimately proved the success of the business.
My rough guess as to the publication dates of the crochet and tatting booklets is the 1950's, but none of them have copyright dates in them. Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd. was absorbed into the Coats Group - that 800 lb gorilla of the textile world - in 1939, and it is unclear to me whether it was Coats putting out these booklets under the Wm. Briggs branding, or if Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd. still had some control.
There is an interesting article at: A Family of Threads and
Pix
Bibliography Entries
Church Laces by Penelope,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester, UK; ISBN: None;
Crochet Notions by Penelope,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester, UK; ISBN: None;
Crochet Notions by Penelope, Book 2,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester, UK; ISBN: None;
Modern Crochet by Penelope, Book No. 1,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Modern Crochet by Penelope, Book No. 2,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Modern Crochet by Penelope, Book No. 3,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Modern Crochet by Penelope, Book No. 4,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Modern Crochet by Penelope, Book No. 5,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Modern Crochet by Penelope, Book No. 6,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Modern Crochet by Penelope, Book No. 7,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Modern Crochet by Penelope, Book No. 8,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Modern Crochet by Penelope, Book No. 9,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
The Sobritto Book by Penelope, Book No. 2,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
The Sobritto Book by Penelope, Book No. 3,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Sobritto Book by Penelope, No. 4,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
There are tatting patterns in this book for two sets of round mats...
Tatting by Penelope: A Needlecraft Publication,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Tatting by Penelope: A Needlecraft Publication, Book 2,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Tatting by Penelope: A Needlecraft Publication, Book 3,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Tatting by Penelope: A Needlecraft Publication, Book 4,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Tatting by Penelope: A Needlecraft Publication, Book 5,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Laces & Corners by Penelope, Book No. 28,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Tableware by Penelope: A Needlecraft Publication No. 51,
by Penelope (TPB:195?)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Contains crochet and tatting patterns...
Penelope Designs in W.B. Crochet Cord, No. 1200,
by Penelope (LEAF:1963ish)
Notes: 3 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Designed by Penelope: Tatting, Book No. 1239,
by Penelope (LEAF:1963ish)
Notes: 3 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Designs by Penelope" "Sobritto" Crochet Cheval Set, Book No. 1247,
by Penelope (LEAF:195?)
Notes: 3 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Designs by Penelope" "Sobritto" Crochet Luncheon Set(3 sizes), Book No. 1263,
by Penelope (LEAF:195?)
Notes: 3 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Designed by Penelope: Cheval Set in Tatting, Book No. 1338,
by Penelope (LEAF:195?)
Notes: 3 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Designed by Penelope- "Sobritto" Crochet Coffee Cloth, Book No. 1347,
by Penelope (LEAF:195?)
Notes: 3 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
Designed by Penelope- "Sobritto" Crochet Mats in Tatting, Book No. 1347,
by Penelope (LEAF:195?)
Notes: 3 pages; Country: England; Publisher: Wm. Briggs & Co. Ltd., Manchester; ISBN: None;
