Textiles

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Since its opening in 1845, The Glasgow School of Art has been connected to textile design and production.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries the School aimed to train local designers to produce patterns for the textile industry in Glasgow and the West of Scotland. In the 1890s, the School's embroidery department was established and soon became famous for the Glasgow Style pieces its staff and students produced (examples of such work are housed in the School's collections).

Jessie Newbery (1864-1948), the first head of this department, encouraged her students to study historical designs and textiles in order to understand different embroidery techniques and to use these items as a source of inspiration for the development of new original work. This teaching ethos continued to be used in the 20th century during which time the School also developed courses in textile printing, weave and knit.

A large number of the items in the School's collection are related to The Needlework Development Scheme (1934-1962). This scheme, sponsored by J & P Coats of Paisley, collected examples of embroidery from a variety of geographical and historical areas and made them available for use by educational institutions and embroidery groups. The scheme aimed to encouraging greater interest in needlework, and to improve the standard of embroidery techniques and designs. When the scheme ended, its collections were disseminated to a variety of organisations. The Glasgow School of Art received 125 items dating from 1652-1961 and originating from Britain, Europe and Asia.

Amongst other items of note in the School's collections are weave sample books from Donald Brothers Ltd, Dundee and examples of work by Kath Whyte (1909-1996), GSA's former Head of Embroidery, and her students.

Related publications:

Liz Arthur, Textile Treasures at the Glasgow School of Art;

Liz Arthur, The Unbroken Thread: A Century of Embroidery at Glasgow School of Art;

Thomasina Beck, Glasgow Girls: Women in Art and Design 1880-1920;

Kathleen Whyte, Design in Embroidery;

R.Oddy. Embroideries from Needlework development scheme;

J. Taylor, The Glasgow School of Embroidery in 'The Studio';

Needlework development scheme, Contemporary Embroideries;

Margaret Swanson, Needlecraft in School;

Margaret Swanson; Needle craft for Older Girls;

Margaret Swanson, Needle craft and Psychology;

Margaret Swanson and Ann Macbeth, Educational Needle craft.

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Textiles

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Textiles

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Embroidered hanging

Banner design drawn on linen with pencil before stitching. It is attached to a calico lining which is stitched to the top of the hanging. It was designed by Walter Crane and worked by his wife Mary Frances Crane. The motto on banner reads: "Qui corvus pascit pascere potest grues" (He who feeds the raven will be able to feed the crane). The design of the panel is possibly that of Thomas Crane, Walter Crane's father.

Crane, Walter

Embroidered panel

Embroidered panel

Similar panels appear in Mackintosh's drawings of the east wall of the principal bedroom at The Hill House although it is not certain when they were installed there as early photographs taken in 1904 do not show them. The panels appear to be duplicates of those shown at the Vienna Secession exhibition in 1900 and bought by Emil Blumenfelt; at least one of these (listed as a 'bed curtain') was lent by Blumenfelt to the Turin exhibition in 1902 - although it lacks the lower section of black silk seen on The Hill House panels.

Mackintosh, Margaret Macdonald

Embroidered panel

Embroidered panel

Similar panels appear in Mackintosh's drawings of the east wall of the principal bedroom at The Hill House although it is not certain when they were installed there as early photographs taken in 1904 do not show them. The panels appear to be duplicates of those shown at the Vienna Secession exhibition in 1900 and bought by Emil Blumenfelt; at least one of these (listed as a 'bed curtain') was lent by Blumenfelt to the Turin exhibition in 1902 - although it lacks the lower section of black silk seen on The Hill House panels.

Mackintosh, Margaret Macdonald

Embroidery

Embroidery

Brown, red, blue and gold coloured thread embroidered on a white cotton ground, with white wool part knitted, part caught down with thread. Red edged and mounted in white card.

Wells, Kate Hobson

Embroidery

Padded and embroidered ice-cream cone design in shades of cream and yellow on a cream background with painted colour. Cream card mount.

Wells, Kate Hobson

'Embroidery' fold-out booklet

Small blue card folder with the hand-label 'Embroidery'. It contains a handwritten explanation of the technique and materials, the pattern design for nine squares in pen and ink on graph paper, and the worked textile in blue, white, red, black and green.

Mackie, Mary

Embroidery samples folder

A blue card folder with a flap folded over from the top edge. Handwritten label which says 'Embroidery samples'. It contains:

  • Six smaller blue card folders
  • Five white cards with samples pinned to them
  • Three yellow folders

Mackie, Mary

Embroidery stitches folder

Red folder tied with blue string with a handwritten label saying ‘Embroidery Stitches’. It contains nine double-page spreads of samples of types of stitches and variations on them, with a list of the stiches shown on the facing page:

  1. Running stitch, Guilloche stitch and back stitch.

  2. Blanket stitch.

  3. Chain stitch.

  4. Herringbone stitch, chevron stitch, Cretan stitch, feather stitch and interlacing stitch.

  5. Roumanian stitch (sic), Roman stitch, Vandyke stich, loop stitch, leaf stitch, feather stitch and fishbone stitch.

  6. Darned stitch, plaited stitch, step stitch, sheaf stitch, Portuguese stitch, Chain band stitch and shell stitch.

  7. Fly stitch, Ermine stitch, Wheatear stitch, star stitch, and sheaf stitch.

  8. Tent stitch, rice stitch, Cross stitch, double stitch, and Florentine stitch .

Mackie, Mary

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