1903 Princess Lace Loom Pillow aka Pillow of Horrors

In the early 1900s Sylvester G. Lewis started a company called the Torchon Lace Company.  His goal was to produce a lace making pillow that could be marketed to the masses through mail order catalogues.  Lewis claimed his new pillow made lace making easy insinuating that the lace essentially made itself!  His company also told women they would buy back lace they made on their lace pillows.  The company also encouraged women to promote his new lace making pillow to friends and they would make a commission based on how many they sold.  Sounds familiar, right?  An early pyramid scheme.  What the company failed to tell its buyers is that the company had high standards for the lace it would buy back so they didn't actually buy back any of the lace made by its novice customers.

This particular lace pillow was their 1903 version featuring a stunning green velvet cover over a wooden base.  There is a felt pillow at the top where you would pin your lace onto a pattern.  There is a roller attached to the top where your finished lace would lay.  This device got the nickname the Pillow of Horrors because it was difficult and uncomfortable to use.