Historical information

The lady seated at the singer sewing machine creating a embroidered handicraft is a young Adamandine (Mandina) Varvaregos. The photo was taken before she migrated to Australia in 1938. She married Nicholas Dracoulis and had five children, Anastasia, Peter, George, Andrew and Phillip. Mandina was very active member of the Society.

Significance

Up until the advent of the sewing machine handicrafts and dowries were embroidered using linen and cotton fabric and all done by hand. However, in the late 20s and early 30's the SINGER Company came to Ithaca and taught the girls embroidery on the machine. Even in those days there were merchants who travelled to the villages and sold machine made goods for the trousseaus, but most of the dowries consisted of the beautifully crafted work of the women.

Physical description

A copy of a photograph of a lady sitting at a treadle sewing machine in an outdoor area.