Cumbrian Rag Rugs
Richly illustrated with colourful, quirky rag rugs (also known as hooked rugs), thisdelightful book examines Winifred Nicholson’s relationship with the Cumbriancraft, the way in which she helped revive the tradition in the 1960s and ’70s, and herinfluence on contemporary makers. For anyone interested in textiles, naive art, Britishfolk traditions or mid-century craft, this book will be a treasure trove.British artist Winifred Nicholson (1893–1981) initially encountered rag rugs inCumberland in the early 1920s, when, with her husband Ben Nicholson (1894–1982), shevisited her neighbour Margaret Warwick, who was sat in her kitchen making a rug fromscraps of old clothing. The Nicholsons were interested in ‘naive art’ at that time and hadexplored the work of Rousseau, as well as African sculpture, but this was the first timethey had come face to face with naive art being made in their own country.In 1960 Winifred moved back to Banks Head, the old Cumbrian farmhouse she hadowned since 1923. It was here that she helped to revive the local ‘hooky’ rag rug makingtradition. Through Winifred’s efforts, well over a hundred new rugs were made. Notablemakers included Mary Bewick, Janet Heap and Florence Williams. Winifred herselfdesigned a number of rugs, and she also encouraged her grandchildren, who were paid apound a time for a design.This beautiful book also presents a number of contemporary rag rug makers, withdirect links to Winifred. Emma Tennant, who lives in Scotland not far from Winifred’shouse, was inspired to start making rugs after seeing the ones in Winifred’s home. Alsoincluded are works by Winifred’s nieces Louisa Creed and the late Jenny Steinbugler.The author also discusses the extensive rag rug collection at Chillingham Castle,Northumberland, which has interesting parallels with Winifred Nicholson’s approach torug making, as well as the rug by Lucie Aldridge in the Fry Art Gallery, Essex.
