Alphabet de la Brodeuse, Lettres Chiffres, Monogrammes et Ornements a points comptes suivis d'une série de modèles avec calques pour broderie de blanc, Bibliothèque D.M.C.; English: Embroidery Alphabet, Letters, Numbers, monograms and Ornaments with counted stitches followed by a series of examples with transfers for white embroidery, D.M.C. Library

Dornach (Alsace, France): Dollfus-Mieg & Co., Société Anonyme, 1890. Wraps. Very good +. [EMBROIDERY] [HOME ARTS]. English: Embroidery Alphabet, Letters, Numbers, monograms and Ornaments with counted stitches followed by a series of examples with transfers for white embroidery, D.M.C. Library.
24mo oblong (5 ½" x 8"); 92 + [25]pp publisher's advertisements; tan textured boards, lettering and border design in red; text in sepia, patterns in color and b&w; 82pp needlework charts followed by 10pp of transfer patterns printed in blue on transfer paper; front board has spotting stains, corners bumped and rubbing to spine, interior clean and tight; very good plus. Thérèse de Dillmont (1846-1890) was perhaps the most important needlearts instructor and author in the 19th century. Born in Austria and educated in embroidery at the school founded by the Empress Maria-Theresa (ruler of the Habsburg dominions), by 1884 she had moved to France and opened a textile school in Dornach. She owned a string of shops across Europe and published the Encyclopedia of Needlework in 1886. The publisher's illustrated ads at the rear of this book are titles by Dillmont with pictorial samples of the work covered in each. Nine pages of the manufacturer D.M.C.'s embroidery charts and purchasing journal follow the ads. Scarce to find all pages and transfers intact.

The thread and yarn manufacturer, D.M.C., was founded in 1746 by partners Jean-Henri Dollfus, Jean-Jacques Schmalzer and Samuel Koechlin. Beginning with hand-painted fabrics that were exported, the company continued to grow and by the late 18th century was taken over by Dollfus' nephew, Daniel. In 1800 Daniel Dollfus married Ann-Marie Mieg, and the company's name was changed to Dollfus-Mieg & Compagnie or D.M.C. In 1818 the company again changed hands, and Jean, the son of Daniel and Ann-Marie, took over. It was his friendship with Thérèse de Dillmont that led to her move to Dornach, and with his backing she opened her school.