From our archive
Exploring
Our rich history
The SWI archive is a treasure trove of Scottish women’s history, holding over a century’s worth of stories from rural communities. It includes documents, photos, crafts, and more, offering a glimpse into women’s leadership, activism, and everyday lives.
From early suffrage links to wartime contributions, food traditions and recorded lectures, the archive reveals the SWI’s impact on Scottish society. The collection features unique handcrafted items from the inspirational Needlework Development Scheme which ran from 1934 to 1941 across Scotland.
Member volunteers are crucial to helping make sense of the many items we hold.
Made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players.
A special find
The SWI archive includes an important collection which was thought to be lost. The Needlework Development Scheme was a UK-wide programme from 1934 to 1961, sponsored by J & P Coats, to promote and raise the standard of British hand and machine embroidery design through educational institutions and industry.
Managed from Glasgow, it developed loan collections of historical and modern textile examples to serve as teaching aids for Scottish and UK schools. The scheme ended when Coats withdrew funding in 1961, with its extensive collection being dispersed to universities and museums.
Our collection complements pieces held by the V&A London and The Glasgow School of Art.
Members through the years
Do you recognise anyone in these pics? We’d love to hear from you!
Royal connections
handmade gifts to HM
The Queen Mother and
the two princesses
The King at the Royal
Highland Show
The King at the Royal
Highland Show
in Edinburgh, 1964
in the 1960s
the SWRI’s 75th anniversary celebrations in Edinburgh
Home & Country magazines
SWRI cookbooks
