Gerald Carter, weaver
Title
Gerald Carter, weaver
Description
The Arts and Crafts movement found, in Oakridge, an environment sympathetic to their creativity and work.
That same environment continued and continues to attract both locals and others who have settled here to craft beautiful objects such as those by Gerald Carter, seen here spinning in Tunley in around 1976.
Gerald moved to Sherra, a cottage in Tunley, in 1950, when he had just been made a member of the Guild of Gloucestershire Craftsmen.
At that time he was teaching at Gloucester College of Art, and continued to do so until 1972. He also spent two days a week during the 1960s teaching at Bristol Teacher Training College.
The cottage had a barn next to it, which was converted into a weaving workshop and a shed added to it. At that time, he was weaving mostly lengths of tweed for suiting, mainly on commission. He also wove mohair stoles, which were sold in London shops, as well as cashmere stoles and scarves. In 1972
Gerald and Joan and family went to Lesotho, South Africa, and spent four years setting up a workshop for spinners and weavers, using the mohair that they produced from their animals. They employed forty-seven local people, mostly women. As well as the workshop, they built a showroom to sell their products and this continued as a commercial enterprise run by an international charity after Gerald and Joan returned to England.
On returning to England, Gerald found that tweed was no longer in demand and turned to weaving silk. He sometimes worked with Theo Mormon, in particular collaborating with her to make curtains for Upton St Leonard's church.
He wove silk scarves and stoles, and silk fabric that Joan made into tops. Gerald's last exhibition of work was in 1998. He died in 2005. Joan still lives at Sherra where, over the years, they have established a wild flower meadow and a woodland garden.
That same environment continued and continues to attract both locals and others who have settled here to craft beautiful objects such as those by Gerald Carter, seen here spinning in Tunley in around 1976.
Gerald moved to Sherra, a cottage in Tunley, in 1950, when he had just been made a member of the Guild of Gloucestershire Craftsmen.
At that time he was teaching at Gloucester College of Art, and continued to do so until 1972. He also spent two days a week during the 1960s teaching at Bristol Teacher Training College.
The cottage had a barn next to it, which was converted into a weaving workshop and a shed added to it. At that time, he was weaving mostly lengths of tweed for suiting, mainly on commission. He also wove mohair stoles, which were sold in London shops, as well as cashmere stoles and scarves. In 1972
Gerald and Joan and family went to Lesotho, South Africa, and spent four years setting up a workshop for spinners and weavers, using the mohair that they produced from their animals. They employed forty-seven local people, mostly women. As well as the workshop, they built a showroom to sell their products and this continued as a commercial enterprise run by an international charity after Gerald and Joan returned to England.
On returning to England, Gerald found that tweed was no longer in demand and turned to weaving silk. He sometimes worked with Theo Mormon, in particular collaborating with her to make curtains for Upton St Leonard's church.
He wove silk scarves and stoles, and silk fabric that Joan made into tops. Gerald's last exhibition of work was in 1998. He died in 2005. Joan still lives at Sherra where, over the years, they have established a wild flower meadow and a woodland garden.
The above is an extract from 'Oakridge a History' by Pat Carrick, Kay Rhodes and Juliet Shipman, available from Oakridge History Group, price £15 through the ‘Contact Us’ page or from the Oakridge Village Shop.
Creator
Photograph by P D Turner
Source
Oakridge History Group
Files
Collection
Citation
Photograph by P D Turner, “Gerald Carter, weaver,” Oakridge Archives, accessed May 2, 2024, https://oakridgearchives.omeka.net/items/show/205.