A visit to Dovecot Studio in Edinburgh
By Guild Member - Vikki Haffenden
Last Autumn I was fortunate to visit Dovecote Studios in Edinburgh, a famous tapestry weaving studio in the heart of the city. Despite photos and reading bit about the studio it was only when there in person that the full historical significance of the studio became apparent to me. Its name derives from its original location, next to a 16th century dovecot in a small village on the outskirts where in 1912 the Marquis of Bute brought two master weavers from the William Morris workshops to weave tapestries for his home on the isle of Bute. This made me smile, how many people nowadays could, or would invest in a tapestry weaving studio, let alone one creating solely for their own household?
Sadly, during the first world war both master weavers were killed. However, surviving apprentices went on to form the Edinburgh Tapestry Company moving the studio away from individual patronage and taking on commissions from a wider audience working with renowned British artists including Stanley Spencer and Graham Sutherland.
Financial problems and subsequent new investment led to the studio relocating to the old Infirmary Street Baths in 2008. This is a glorious space that give visitors the opportunity to observe the weavers from the balcony above and appreciate the calm but energising atmosphere of the studio. I could have sat there all day just ‘being’. I was disappointed that the rug gun was not in operation, but was impressed by the gigantic loom, built by the studio for a special commission in 2017 which stretches along one side of the space. Its reed is obviously very long and undulates above the loom suspended from numerous cords which can just be seen in the foreground of my photo. As you can see there was no warp on this loom, but three others held tapestries in progress, the larger of which was being worked by two weavers. When I could finally drag myself away we enjoyed a home made lunch in the little cafe on the ground floor. I then browsed the small but specialised shop and avoided spending too much on books because I didn’t want to carry them around for the rest of the day.
It is worth noting that the first female weavers were not employed by Dovecote until the1960s. This reminds me that the female textile artists practising in Ditchling in the mid-Twentieth century; Barbara Allen, Hilary Bourne and Ethel Mairet, (all now recognised as significant contributors to the art and craft of weaving) were excluded from The Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic until 1972. What might their contribution have been if women had been admitted during the peak period of these groups?
Unfortunately, I just missed the embroidery exhibition that opened at the end of October, but if anyone is going to Edinburgh the Ptolemy Mann Spring exhibition of hand woven rugs looks worth a visit. Admission is free to the cafe and shop (10am-5pm) and viewing gallery (12pm-3pm), but there is a a charge for other exhibitions. Dovecot Studios, 10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1LT. This link is to a very interesting article discussing communication between artists and crafts people and exploring the interpretive and artistic skills necessary for the tapestry weavers to bring the works to life.