Musée de la dentelle de Caudry, Lace-making museum in Caudry, France

The Musée de la dentelle de Caudry occupies an old workshop in the town centre. Its entrance is a rectangular glass facade divided into large blue-tinted panels by dark metal mullions, with a central double door and a white bird graphic on a pale blue rectangle above it. To the left, a stone wall section bears a dark grey vertical panel with a red symbol and the words "Musée de la Dentelle". A metal fence with cutout leaf motifs and a gate opening onto steps stands in front.

The museum occupies a former workshop in Caudry's town centre. Lace-making began here in 1826, when Placide Gabet installed the first tulle loom; in 1838 Théophile Tofflin started making fancy tulle. By 1913 several thousand workers operated 650 tulle looms, and the population grew from 1,926 in 1804 to 13,360 in 1911.

Caudry lace reached the White House: the Bracq firm wove the fabric of Hillary Clinton's dress for Bill Clinton's inauguration, and in 2009 a flowered polyamide and viscose lace with silver lamé thread, overprinted with a floral design, was made for Michelle Obama's Easter dress. A request also came from London for the 2011 royal wedding dress of Catherine Middleton.

The museum is located in an area that is easy to reach on foot with clear signage throughout the building. Plan to spend time examining the display pieces closely, as the intricate details of the lace work reward careful observation.

The museum holds lace made for presidential and royal occasions: Bracq supplied the fabric of Hillary Clinton's gown for Bill Clinton's inauguration, and a floral polyamide, viscose and silver lamé lace worn by Michelle Obama on Easter Sunday 2009. A request also came from Caudry for lace motifs on the dress of Catherine Middleton.