Bell Pulls

Today few people use Bell Pulls, unlike cushions or pillows and other soft furnishings they are all but obsolete but still immensely decorative. Once in situ a Bell Pull can add height , soften angular walls, provide symmetry and authenticity. Perhaps this explains their huge popularity during the second half of the 19th century.

Bell Pulls are narrow lengths of textile with a decorative end. They have been used since the 18th century to summon staff from 'below stairs.' They would have a bell attached or linked to a system of bells and pulleys in the basement or servants quarters.

Bell Pulls would be hung from the picture rail or high up on the wall to within easy reach to pull. They were placed either side of the bed, fire place or entrance hall, often in pairs, anywhere it was convenient or decorative in any room 'above stairs.' Because the bell pulls hung in prominent places in the room, their appearance became as important as their function. They were made as much for pleasure as for use.

When servants and masters began to occupy specific areas of the home, this afforded some privacy to both, and was a necessary means of communication. Early examples were utilitarian often simple woven braids with a brass ring on the end or a rope cord with a tassel end. The narrow vertical format provided an opportunity for linear stylised motifs. Bell Pulls were made from many fabrics and textiles using different techniques.

By the end of the 18th century Bell Pulls had become more elaborate. It is said Marie Antoinette had a Bell Pull of passmenterie that resembled a song bird in a silken cage. Britain followed the fashion of 18th century France. Bell Pulls offered an opportunity for the gentle women to display her skilled needlepoint. Ceilings were high at this date leading to a vogue for long elegant Bell Pulls of floral or stylised abstract motifs or a combination of the two. Bell Pulls of the second half of the 18th century were worked in wool, silk bugel or steel beads on canvas, or embroidered on a fabric ground. The design on the ends or the 'pulls' followed the artistic trends of the era. The Bell Pull was finished with a tassel pull or more often a brass handle. The brass ends provide a sturdy pull and a good weight to stretch the narrow bands of needlepoint into shape causing them to hang straight against the wall.

The cast or beaten brass ends were being produced in quantity and variety by the beginning of the 19th century. From austere neo-classical to heavier more ornate ones as the century wore on. As Berlin work became more popular by the mid 19th century so patterns and designs for Bell Pulls proliferated. The Zepher wools were thick and spongy requiring a larger canvas. As a result Bell Pulls became larger and wider, with more scope for complex and realistic floral and geometric designs. These Bell Pulls were often worked purely as a needlework exercise. The designs of the ends kept pace with fashions such as those for hot house flowers of the Gothic revival. Brass tops and ends were produced to complement the patterns on the Bell Pulls.

By the end of the 19th century the needle woman could choose to finish her Bell Pull, with the bell attached to the top, a beautifully wrought brass top and end or perhaps a glass handle from Bohemia or a large tassel. Technology and fashion ensured a vast array of unique and highly decorative Bell Pulls were made during the 19th century. The rapid decline in the popularity of the Bell Pull echoes the demise of the large town and country houses. Social changes at the start of the 20th century brought about by the first world war altered forever the life style of the population of Europe. The idea of summoning staff with the pull of a bell now seems archaic. However the Bell Pulls remain as beautiful relics that can be utilized only as delightful decorations.