Mullins, Emily (basket maker)

Miss Emily E. Mullins (1906–1967) was a basket maker in Reading. Her family were basket makers for at least five generations. She ran a basketmaking business in Bath circa 1926–1939 and moved to London in 1940 where she made baskets for the war effort. Later, she moved to Reading where she took over her father’s job on his death at Cook’s Dairy and Farm Equipment Ltd. John Cook founded the basketmaking firm in 1760. Cook’s had premises at Market Place, Reading, and the workshop was at Silver Street, Reading.

The archive Mullins Collection consists of lists of sizes and prices of basket makers collected by Emily Mullins in volumes from London, Birmingham, Lancashire, Cheshire and Leeds.

The object collection consists of baskets made and basketmaking tools used by Emily Mullins and her family.

More information

A full description is available on our online database.

A full handlist for the collection can be found here.

The objects are catalogued on the online database. Search using the word ‘Mullins’