66/40/1-5

When making the bottom and starting the sides of a rectangular basket, or making the lid, basketmakers use a ‘block’ to hold the sticks upright. A block has two halves, held together with bolts. The block lies on the plank in front of the worker with the sticks clamped upright between the two halves at the correct distance apart and the weaving is then put on. Every basketmaker will have a block for square work, and the block will vary in length and thickness for different hampers and baskets. These wooden blocks and coach bolts with wing nuts were given to the Museum by Emily Mullins, a Reading basketmaker.

block for making baskets: wood, metal

Miss Emily E. Mullins (1906–1967) was a basketmaker in Reading. Her family were basketmakers for at least five generations. Her father, William Mullins, had no sons and Emily chose to become a basketmaker and carry on the tradition. She ran a basketmaking business in Bath circa 1926–1939, and moved to London in 1940 where she made baskets for the war effort. Later, she moved to Reading where she took over her father’s job on his death at Cook’s Dairy and Farm Equipment Ltd., a basketmaking firm founded in 1760 by John Cook. Cook’s had premises at Market Place, Reading, and the workshop was at Silver Street, Reading. The Museum has an extensive collection of baskets and basketmaking tools (approximately 200) given to the Museum by Emily Mullins. No correspondence between the Museum and Emily Mullins was found in July 2012, and it is assumed from scraps of information (e.g. a note on the Adlib record for 63/61 which said that the 63/ baskets were made by Emily Mullins for the Museum and were therefore never used, and a note on the Adlib record for 64/147 which said that Emily Mullins made numerous baskets for the Museum in 1964) that the baskets were made by Emily Mullins at Cook’s Silver Street workshop and the tools were used by Emily Mullins at the same workshop., The MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form says the blocks were used by Reliance Basket Works Ltd. of Eccleshill, West Yorkshire, while another hand written catalogue form says it was used by Emily Mullins of Reading. The block was donated by Miss Mullins so it is perhaps unlikely that it was also used by Reliance., MERL 'Catalogue of baskets' form – 'NAME: BLOCKS (1–5) // Acc. No.: 66/40/1–5 // Group: CRAFTS. WOOD: BASKETS // Neg. no.: 60/6466 // Place of origin: Berkshire // Period in use: Pre-1965 // DESCRIPTION // Materials: Sets of 2 wooden blocks & 2 coach bolts with wing nuts (see 63/77(2)) // User: Reliance // Shape and construction: Various lengths & thicknesses of block for different hampers & baskets. // Dimensions: From 37” x 3 3/4” x 2 1/2” to 22” x 1 1/2” x 3/4” // Use: The block lies on the plank in front of the worker & the sticks for a rectangular bottom or cover are clamped upright between the two halves at the proper distances apart. The weaving is then put on.* // Dialect names: // Distribution: Every basketmaker will have one or two sets for sq. work. They are essentials in hamper & skip makers’ workshops. // Additional notes: see 66/36'

Block, basketry, Bolt

Wood, Metal

Reliance Basket Works Ltd. ()
Cook's Dairy and Farm Equipment Ltd. ()
Wright, Dorothy (Recorder)