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.

Code

S2

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Textiles

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Textiles

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Textiles

2499 Archival description results for Textiles

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Textile design

Textile design

Design for printed hanging - flowers. Same design as NMC/115B. On mount: Design for printed hanging/ Violet McGlashan/76/Owen Jones competition.

McGlashan, Violet Meikle

Textile design samples

Contains a collection of textile designs by Sylvia Chalmers. Includes designs for tablemats, tea cosies, kerchiefs, quilts, herb bags, cushions, dressprints and aprons.

Named designs include:

  • 'Califonia' [sic]
  • 'Niaomi'
  • 'Pink cyclamen'
  • 'Eglington'
  • 'Penang'
  • 'Tulip tops'
  • 'Hellzapoppin'

Also includes:

  • oledon & solesol wat dyes colour chart
  • pamphlet on Japanese stencil-dyed paper placemats
  • 'Pictorial embroidery by former students of the GSA' poster
  • 'GSA exhibition of embroidery & weaving' poster
  • 'Fern' wallpaper
  • 'Proposed CRM design for new reception room and dining room curtains and panels at Wm teacher's offices, St Enoch's Sq, Glasgow'

Some of this material was damaged in the fire in GSA's Mackintosh Building on 23rd May 2014. The items in question have been assessed by a conservator. Some paper conservation was completed in 2019, but unfortunately in some cases no remedial work is possible.

Chalmers, Sylvia

Textile related to the Mackintosh Interpreted exhibition

Textile related to the Mackintosh Interpreted exhibition

Mackintosh's textile design: flower bulbs 1915-23 copied from watercolour in the Hunterian Collection, cat:GLAHA41999 (1 of 3).

Fabric from the Mackintosh Re-Interpreted Exhibition, Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery, 2008, with digital recreations of Mackintosh original designs and new designs by Vicky Begg, J.R.Campbell and Alan Shaw.

Centre for Advanced Textiles

Textile work by GSA students and staff

  • TSW
  • Collection
  • 20th century

Textile work by Glasgow School of Art students and staff, including examples of woven textiles, some of which are most likely to be submissions for degree shows, while others seem to be submissions for an RSA Bursary Competition. Some creators are known, others are yet to be identified.

Blackwood, Jilli

Textiles

Printed textiles with designs for handkerchiefs, headscarves and posters.

Cosgrove, James

Textiles and papers of Fraser Taylor, GSA student and designer with The Cloth

  • DC 089
  • Collection
  • c1978-2015

The collection consists of printed textiles, garments and papers relating to Fraser Taylor's time as an undergraduate student at GSA (1978-1981), a postgraduate student at RCA (1983), and items relating to other professional activities. It also includes examples of textiles and associated ephemera for design collective The Cloth (1983-1987).

Taylor, Fraser

Textiles by Sylvia Chalmers

Includes:

  • a collection of aprons
  • a collection of tote bags
  • a collection of placemats
  • a collection of tea towels
  • a collection of kerchiefs
  • a collection of curtains
  • a banner
  • a tablecloth, a collection of handkerchiefs, and a cushion cover.

Chalmers, Sylvia

Results 1901 to 1950 of 2499

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