My Father's Loom

An object might seem to be just an object but the same object can have a story to tell.  A diamond ring might tell the story of love and marriage. A christening gown could tell the story of the multiple babies who wore it. But what kind of story can a loom tell? As it turns out an interesting one with a personal twist to it! Here is the loom and here is its story.

In 1946 my father Sergeant Gordon Russell Brooks was demobilized from the Canadian Armed Forces. After four years in Europe serving first in the Medical and then the Provost Corps, Russ was eager to return to Toronto to get on with his life. Never robust, he miraculously managed to survive his service without injury, but upon his return home developed severe problems in his right knee. As a veteran, he first was treated in the old Christie Street Hospital which was still in operation when the first soldiers returned from Europe. He was subsequently transferred to the spanking new Sunnybrook Medical Centre where he underwent surgery (he was one of the first 100 patients to be admitted). Recovering from surgery, Russ was bedridden for some time. The Sunnybrook occupational therapist team devised a treatment plan to keep his hands busy and his spirits up. He was prescribed a Guildcraft-Thackeray Loom, produced by the Guild of All Arts in Scarborough.

The Guild of All Arts was founded by Rosa and Spencer Clark as an artists’ co-operative and centre promoting the Arts and Home Crafts Industries movement in Canada. It was situated on the grounds of the Bickford Estate, a property purchased by the widowed Rosa Breithaupt Hewetson in 1932 just before her marriage to Spencer Clark. Bickford Estate 1944 photo TPL Digital Archives Rosa and her three daughters from her first marriage enjoyed working with looms so it was no surprise that the first studio established at the Guild in 1932 was hand-loom weaving. Other crafts soon followed - pottery, wrought iron working, sculpture, painting, and cabinet making, among others. Workshops were set up on the Clark’s property, staffed with professional crafts people who lived on site and would demonstrate their particular craft to the public. Quality pieces produced by the artists would be sold on site or at the Guild of All Arts Shop on 44 Bloor Street West. This postcard, purchased and sent home by one visitor in 1940, shows the popularity of the weaving studio.This particular visitor was from New Jersey - visitors came from near and far to visit.

 

The first looms produced and used in the weaving studio were huge, noisy and complicated. The Guild’s 100” wide loom, billed as the largest hand-loom in Canada, was set up at the CNE for visitors to marvel at. The Clarks soon began to look for a smaller loom that could be manufactured and sold to customers who wanted to learn the craft. The Clarks learned of a unique light and portable loom that had been created by Captain Henry James Thackeray, a member of the British Arts and Crafts movement, and a 3rd cousin of author William Makepeace Thackeray. The Captain had  died in 1926 but his widow continued on with his work of promoting the loom.  

In the July 11 1931 edition of the Yarmouth Independent Margaret 

Thackeray spoke of “efforts being made at Elsing to revive the old village  industry of weaving by means of a simple loom invented by her husband, the late Captain Thackeray. Its use was deftly demonstrated upon the terrace overlooking the lily-starred moat, and fabrics so made were much admired”. In the mid 1930s Rosa and Spencer visited England and stayed with Margaret at Elsing Hall, the family estate located in Norfolk. The Clarks were successful in securing the North American as well as the British patent and design rights to the loom. Despite the fact that she no longer controlled sales of the loom Margaret continued to promote it. In the 1939 Register of England she described herself as “Estate Owner and Seller of Thackeray Loom”.  

Back in Canada production of the Guildcraft-Thackeray Utility Loom was soon underway in the Guild's wood-working shop supervised by Herman Riedl. Assistance was provided by the metal-working shop. The loom proved incredibly popular and was marketed to schools, camps and rehabilitation hospitals, as well as the enterprising home weaver. The loom was light, portable, and small enough to be used by a seated patient such as my father. It was reasonably priced and many were sold by mail order. Potential weavers could visit the Guild of All Arts Shop on the 6th floor of Simpsons for a free demonstration. 

The loom could be purchased on a “Home Lovers Plan” for only $2.50 now and $2.50 monthly. Customers were encouraged to take the loom to the cottage as “During the holidays you can readily weave smart materials for suitings, hand bags, scarfs, table runners, and many gifts for Christmas” (Toronto Star June 14 1935). It became a major source of revenue for the Guild with more than 30,000 shipped worldwide, The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star were filled with ads touting the benefits of the loom and  news articles featuring Rosa and her daughters modelling clothing made from cloth they wove themselves.

Globe and Mail February 2 1938

The Canadian magazine published a glowing report about the Guild’s looms in its November 1937 article. “The Guildcraft and Thackeray looms are the biggest news the weaving world has had for centuries” as “The very smartest Parisian women and the most advanced Americans have seized on the brand-new vogue for hand-weaving with such glee that The Canadian would like to wager that you will find yourself plunged into the craze for hand-weaving before you know what has happened to you”.

The instruction book for the Loom noted that “Guildcraft Looms have revolutionized home weaving until it is now one of the easiest and simplest of home occupations. Study your loom and your work with patience and care. You will be an expert before you realize it”. The booklet featured a picture of the Hewetson girls at work on their looms on the grounds of the Guild.  

My father was extremely creative and he enjoyed using the loom to make various projects. I still have a wee blanket and a placemat/napkin set. He must have made more woven items and given them as presents as he had labels created. I don’t ever remember my father using the loom but he kept it safe through his life. It remains a reminder of a difficult but rewarding time in my dad’s life and an interesting connection to my current home in Guildwood Village.

The Guild of All Arts is no longer in operation but the site still exists though in a different form. The property has recently been renovated and turned into an event venue. The City of Toronto took over the property in 1978 and the park is open to the public. Of interest is the open air art gallery. In the1950s and 60s many older buildings in Toronto were razed for new development. The Clarks collected the decorative stonework from many of these buildings. Relics from over 50 buildings can be seen in the park.  

This is the facade from the Royal Conservatory of Music formerly located at the corner of University Avenue and College Street in Toronto. My dad studied at the Conservatory and later at the Faculty of Music located in the same building. The facade features a portrait of Sir Ernest MacMillan, dean of the Faculty when my father studied there. Sir Ernest was apparently an occasional guest at the Guild of All Arts taking the time away from his day to day activities to write music. A nice reminder of my dad’s music studies close to my home.