HITLER IN WOOL

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 January 1939, Page 12

HITLER IN WOOL

LONDON ADMIRER’S PRIZE. More than 15 years of her life hang on the walls of Lady (Annie) Coryns' Belgrade square mansion, London, (states an overseas daily). Lady Cory’s hobby is embroidering pictures, and for each of the fulllength ones that cover her old-fash-ioned, walls she has spent from a year: to 15 months working them. Sheer monuments of patience are these colossal pictures, worked over at least three times “to get mora depth and colour.” One picture was even worked over eight times, while 10 different shades of wool were used. A life-size head of Hitler is the most astounding piece. So much does Lady Cory admire the Fuehrer that she has had a coloured print of his head worked in wools, while real chestnut-coloured hair has been used for his hair. To reproduce his blue eyes as accurately as possible about 36 different shades of blue wool were used. Altogether more than a thousand shades of wool were used on the head. “I have never met Hitler, but I think ho is a wonderful man,” said Lady Cory. “I did not work his picture myself, because I am getting a little old for such detailed work. Miss Constable, who worked it specially for me, used some of her own hair for it.’*

Another feat of the patience of by'gone and more leisurely times is the drawing room furniture in the house, which was all hand-embroidered bjr Lady Cory’s sister. Over 30 chairs, settees, foot stools, huge wall panels, curtains —all exquisitely hand-embroidered witli flower designs. “My sister spent her life doing this work," Lady Cory said. “Our house in Ireland 'was furnished completely with the things she had worked. Most of them, unfortunately, were destroyed in a fire.” Apart from these incredible feats of patience, the Belgrave square house has many pictures worked in. cork, sugar, felt, sand, wood shavings, human hair, paper, velvet and shells. They are nearly all Georgian and Victorian period. | “People do not make such things nowadays,” said Lady Cory. “They have neither the time nor the patience.”