Rope making

  Rope Making, South Uist, c. 1953    The first photograph shows a length of hay rope collected by Dr Kissling in the Western Isles, probably South Uist. Dr Kissling is best known for his photography but he also collected some objects during his research.   The second photograph, taken by Dr Kissling, shows a similar kind of rope being made by a man on South Uist. The man is sitting outside a house on a stool with hay beneath him. He is twisting it into a length of rope which is sitting in a ball beside him.   Dr Kissling's work in the Western Isles included documenting craft practices, like rope making, which were used as part of every-day life.   Dr Werner Kissling (1895-1988) was a German photographer and ethnographer who spent most of his life documenting Scottish crafts, architecture, and agricultural practices. He was associated with Dumfries Museum from the mid-1950s until his death in 1988.