Warwickshire in 100 Objects: Embroidered Friendship Cloth

Friendship cloth embroidered with signatures

Image courtesy of Warwickshire Museum

Detail from embroidered friendship cloth, showing signatures of John F Kennedy and astronaut John Glenn.

Image courtesy of Warwickshire Museum

Detail showing the signatures of astronauts Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova

Image courtesy of Warwickshire Museum

Detail Detail from embroidered friendship cloth, showing the signature of Sir Winston Churchill.

Image courtesy of Warwickshire Museum

This friendship cloth is of a fine, cream linen, which has been embroidered in different colours with names and signatures of local Warwickshire people, groups and organisations, as well as some from international famous figures, sometimes on separate patches. Famous signatures include: Sir Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, John F Kennedy, astronauts including Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova (the first woman in space), and many more…

The cloth was created by a Miss Hillson from Leamington Spa, who donated it to the museum in 1980. Most of the signatures appear to have been gathered during the 1960s – 1970s. It was included in Market Hall’s display ‘To The Moon And Beyond’ (July – September 2019), marking the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing.

Locations

Leamington Spa (1349)