Amy Patterson finds that, with a place for creativity and innovation in the Anthropocene, particularly in reconnecting us with the non-human, wool should have a future, although its story is complex. A history that encompasses land enclosure, trade protectionism, industrialisation and fluctuating global markets make wool a significant Anthropocene object.
Museum of the Anthropocene: Wool
An integral part of global and local economies; with links to cultural values and environmental management, this timeless resource has a complex story to tell.
Let’s journey back to the 16th century. Sheep have been living alongside humans since their introduction to Britain around 3000 B.C. and the British wool trade is booming. Wool merchants facilitate production of piecework (textiles made in stages within the home), the government has passed legislation to boost the domestic wool trade (e.g. the 1571 Capper’s Act), introduced protectionist taxes on imports and exports, and the English Channel is policed to prevent the lucrative trade in wool smuggling. The landscape has been changing too, with wild and agricultural areas enclosed for livestock farming; the emergence of England’s ‘pleasant pastures’. So highly valued is wool to the wider British economy, that the Speaker in the House of Lords has been sitting on the ‘Woolsack’ since the 14th century. But in 200 years all that’s about to change…
The British Empire will expand and a new fascination for the ‘Orient’ will lead the wealthy elite to change fashions by adopting patterned cotton into their wardrobes, while the introduction of industrial machinery facilitates faster, cheaper fibre production, pricing the Indian handloom industry out of global markets. Spinning that used to take women 165 hours per worsted cloth, is significantly faster. Cotton fabric now replaces wool as Britain’s main textile export, Luddite riots will be quashed and workers across the Empire will be valued for their productivity rather than their skill, while environments worldwide will be degraded in a frenzied pursuit of wealth and resources. Wool will experience a slight resurgence in WW2 as textiles are recycled during the resource shortage, but by the late 20th century polyester will overtake natural fibres as the material of choice for fast fashion; wool is consigned to the scrapheap.
In our synthetic present, wool is rebranded as a luxury fibre, valued by designer and sustainable brands for its environmental credentials and scientific properties (wool is biodegradable, fire resistant and naturally temperature regulating). Yet, despite being home to over 60 different sheep breeds, the UK still imports over 23 million kilograms of wool (often Merino from Australia where the still legal practice of mulesing; the removal of skin from the hindquarters to prevent flystrike, is a concern of animal welfare), and farmers struggle to dispose of what is considered a waste product of the meat industry. With the price of raw fleece around £1/kg, convincing farmers to clean and transport fleece to the wool board at their own expense is challenging and fleece is often burned or composted, releasing carbon into the atmosphere.
However, wool is gaining interest; designers and artists are increasingly turning to this age-old natural resource in a bid to revive craftsmanship and quality products. The Campaign for Wool (patroned by King Charles), Wovember and British Wool month, raise awareness in an attempt to change the culture, and Shetlanders have been finding alternative ways of teaching children lace and Fair Isle knitting to retain their intangible cultural heritage. There is a place for creativity and innovation in the Anthropocene, particularly in reconnecting us with the non-human, and in a world where technological advance is the benchmark for progress, should we place greater value on existing resources to help us navigate this new epoch?
Notes
Wool was contributed by Amy Patterson.
Amy says: “Human Geographies of the Anthropocene has been one of my favourite modules; being able to combine my academic and creative interests to bridge the gap between the arts and sciences at the museum was great fun and helped me feel ‘placed’ in some of the current Anthropocene dialogues between creatives and scientists – something I will take with me beyond graduation.“