Cardew’s Craft Circle ~ essays on Cotswolds Art & Crafts of the 1920s & 1930s

Publication date 18th May 2019 ; priced £25 ; 80 pages full colour 21 x 21cm art format

Scene setting introductory essays by John Edgeler :

~  The Simple Life & the Cotswolds Craft interior

~  The Butler family and Winchcombe Pottery

~  Design in Cardew’s Winchcombe

~  Pastoralism Pottery and Printing

Specialist essays by other contributors  (in alphabetical order) :

Richard Batterham  ~  Katharine Pleydell Bouverie

Helen Brown  ~  Charlotte Epton, potter, artist & teacher

R Chamberlaine Brothers  ~  Organic & Abstract in Art & Writings

Mary Greensted  ~  Peter Waals: Cotswolds craft furniture

Alan Powers  ~  Michael Cardew and Enid Marx

Barley Roscoe  ~  Phyllis Barron and Dorothy Larcher

TO ORDER PLEASE  Email: johnedgeler@gmail.com  ( tel: 01242 602 319 )

LIMITED EDITION OF 200 COPIES

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Barron and Larcher block printed textiles of the 1930s

This section of material is from a pair of curtains by Barron and Larcher as originally fitted to the 1930s arts and crafts home of the artist and etcher, Robin Tanner. B & L had originally been London based, making high couture textiles for Cambridge Colleges and for wealthy clients such as the Duke of Westminster. However, in 1930 they moved to the small Cotswolds town of Painswick in 1930, continuing to produce delightful materials ranging from the traditional inspired by nature (above) to the jazz age (below).

Their output proved very complimentary to the rural style of arts and crafts that emerged in the Cotswolds in the inter-war years, and their cloths were often co-displayed at London and international exhibitons of the Studio Pottery pioneers, Leach, Beano and Cardew. Friends of the artist and designer, Enid Marx, they were also social friends and customers of Michael Cardew, visiting him at Winchcombe on a number of occasions.

Their textiles feature in a piece by Barley Roscoe to be published in a book of essays by leading writers, Cardew’s Craft Circle, on Saturday 18th May 2019. They will also be the subject of a talk by the contemporary textile worker and writer, Sarah Burns, to be held as part of a textiles afternoon at the Winchcombe Archive Collection on Saturday 22nd June 2019. Please see earlier talks blog for further details.

Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie (1895-1985)

This early and unusual Pleydell-Bouverie vase is one of a large group of Beano (as she was nick-named) pots that will be on display at the Winchcombe Archive Collection Summer exhibition that opens at the Long Room Gallery, Queen Anne House, High Street, Winchcombe, GL54 5LJ  [tel 01242 602 319] at 9am on Saturday 18th May 2019,

Katharine’s pots are being brought together as part of a show, Cardew’s Craft Circle, celebrating the creative group of friends around Michael Cardew in the 1920s and 1930s.  This will be the first substantive Beano show since a Bath exhibition held in 1980-1981, with many exhibits new to the public. Pleydell-Bouverie was a pioneer in the use of wood ash glazes on studio pottery and her influence may be seen in the work of Richard Batterham and his contemporaries – as well of course, Cardew himself.

Beano was a typically modest figure, and her pioneering research provided much of the related information incorporated in Leach’s A Potter’s Book. This show promises to appeal to studio afficinados and potters alike,  as it encompasses  a full range of her forms and glaze effects, and pots ranging from the large and impressive to the modest such as the glaze test miniatures illustrated below.

SATURDAY  TALKS  THIS  MAY  AND  JUNE

FOR  TALK  BOOKINGS  PLEASE  RING :  01242 602 319  OR  EMAIL : johnedgeler@gmail.com

Cardew’s Craft Circle (from 18th May 2019)

This new exhibition at the Long Room Gallery, home to the Winchcombe Archive Collection, focusses on the circle of creative people known to Michael Cardew in the 1920s and 1930s. Aside from a good representative display of the early slipwares of Cardew and his pre-war team, some on show to the public for the first time in 20+ years, this event will also take the opportunity to celebrate the work of Katharine Pleydell-Bouverie – known as Beano to her friends.

The last substantive Beano public exhibition was held some forty years ago in Bath, so this event will provide a unique opportunity for the lovers of good pots in general, and the Studio pioneers in particular to gain a comprehensive idea of her output and creativity. The 100+ exhibits from both Coleshill and Kilmington Manor will include rare examples by Norah Braden and Ada Mason, and will range from charming glaze test miniatures to magnificent show stoppers by Beano. The vast majority are drawn from private collections, many not seen by the public in 20 or 30 years or more, so this is a unique opportunity.

The exhibition, which also includes the contemporary block printed fabrics of Barron and Larcher of the 1930s with whose work Beano was frequently co-exhibited, opens to the public on Saturday 18^th May 2019 from 9am to 5pm, then at the same times daily until Saturday 25^th May inclusive. Thereafter, it will open from Thursday to Saturday inclusive (11am to 5pm) until Saturday 13^th July, or by prior appointment on non-public days.

Christmas 2018 Newsletter

The Winchcombe Archive Collection is now in the process of becoming a charitable trust. To get more information on this together with our plans for 2019 please click on the following link:

CHRISTMAS 2018 NEWSLETTER

The Primitive Eye exhibition (20th October to 10th November 2018)

The above image shows a small selection from a number of artefacts both antiquarian and from the modern age and ranging from the ‘primitive’ (however defined) to the pastoral that will be on show this autumn at The Winchcombe Archive Collection.  These include the secular and religious products and creativity of country craftsmen of the past as well as early twentieth century responses to pastoral traditons of art and craft in the guise of the revivalist slipwares of Michael Cardew and his inter-war team at Winchcombe Pottery.

The show opens at 9am on Saturday 20th October 2018 and runs for just three weeks. On the opening day we will be offering an afternoon Cream Tea with the Curator to include a handling session of artefacts from our permanent collections.  A formal talk is also planned for one Saturday afternoon later in the show’s run.

The fully illustrated catalogue may be viewed here:

The Primitive Eye 2018 ~ Long Room Gallery of Winchcombe

Robin Tanner & The Old Stile Press (9th June 2018)

In the last talk of the series we were delighted to be joined by Frances and Nicolas McDowell proprietors of The Old Stile Press and late publishing collaborators with the Tanners. Their involvement in the Tanner show was particularly appropriate as Robin had a lifelong interest in the printed page as well as in etching as a medium.

Notably, Frances brought along a collection of rare antique printed material formerly owned by Robin to share with attendees.

William Morris : Design for living (2nd June 2018)

Continuing the arts and crafts talks theme, we were delighted to welcome back Mary Greensted to speak on the influence of nature on Morris designs and his relationship with his homes in London and the Cotswolds.