Peasant Shopping - Part 2 - Christmas Cards

In Peasant Shopping - Part 1 we saw the Haslemere Peasants advertising their works as "beautiful and unusual Christmas gifts".  An interesting piece of promotion given the Peasant Arts movement opposition to commercialism.  The Vineyard in 1910 (No. 3) continued to promote some further Christmas purchasing choices for their readers.

The cards at 4p each translate to £4 each today.  A high end price for a card:

"Four of the illustrated Carols appearing in this Christmas number of THE VINEYARD are also published separately as Christmas Cards.

They are translations from old German and French sources by the Rev. R. L. Gales, and the illustrations are by the veteran artist Arthur Hughes.

Printed in red and black.
Price Fourpence each, with envelope.  Postage 1/2d each.

No. 1 

The Shepherds' Gifts,

A Noel from the German.

No. 2

Bethlehem,

An old Rhineland Volkslied.

No. 3

Noel,

An old French Chanson

No. 4

The Bright Midnight,

A Gascon Noel.

The Cards may be had at the depots of The Peasant Arts Society: High Street, Haslemere, and 83 New Cavendish Street, London, W., or from the Publisher, Mr. A.C. Fifield, 13 Clifford's Inn, London, E.C."

from The Vineyard, 1910
No. 3

Peasant Shopping - Part 1 - Advertizing

The Peasant Arts movement ran a number of shops : one in London and another in Haslemere. The location of the shops seems to have varied over the years.  In the 'Double Christmas Number' of The Vineyard in 1910 (No. 3), their first Christmas publication, there was a degree of advertising of the Peasant Arts Society's wares:

Advert from The Vineyard, No. 3, 1910

"Beautiful and unusual Christmas gifts

May be bought at the two depots of
The Peasant Arts Society, 83 New Cavendish Street, W.
& High Street, Haslemere.

On the opposite page will be seen the lists of the many things made in the Haslemere and other hand-industries.  At this season it may be practical to call attention to such of them as are noticeably inexpensive:

1. Quaint English and foreign pottery. From One Shilling.
2. Russian peasant silver brooches, clasps, and hatpins.  From One Shilling.
3. English mother-of-pearl and silver jewellery, brooches, pendants, etc.,  From Five Shillings.
4. Haslemere shot-silk scarves in beautiful colourings.  From Six Shillings.

Bead necklaces, embroidered work-bags, leather card-cases, etc., books, pamphlets, and Christmas cards."

The Vineyard, No. 3, 1910

On the opposite page, which is referred to above, says:

"THE PEASANT ARTS SOCIETY

For the Restoration of Country Life and Craft

Depots:

83 New Cavendish Street, Portland Place, W.

& High Street, Haslemere, Surrey.

Many objects of Handicraft are on view and sale at these depots, including hand-woven materials, leadless-glazed ware and peasant pottery, Bohemian glass, Baskets, Lace, Leatherwork, Embroideries, Woodwork, Jewellery, Copper and Brass, Carving, etc.

In connection with the above:

THE HASLEMERE WEAVING INDUSTRIES

produces on simple Hand-looms many and various materials in linen, silk, cotton and wool, suitable for Bedspreads, Curtains, Table Cloths, Towels, Dress Materials, Children's Frocks, etc. etc.

Lessons in spinning and weaving are given, and visitors are welcome every day from 10-4, Saturdays 10-12.  Apply, The Secretary, Weaving House, Foundry Meadow, Haslemere.

THE ST. CROSS INDUSTRIES

for Pile, Tapestry and Peasant-woven Rugs and Carpets; and for linen appliqué suitable for Coverlets, Altar-Hangings, Banners, Table Cloths, etc. etc.

Pupils are taken for training in any of the above crafts.

Apply, Mrs. Godfrey Blount, St. Cross, Haslemere, Surrey.

THE ENGLISH HANDICRAFT SOCIETY (Homespun branch)

for encouraging the making of Homespuns in the home.  Lessons are given in the various processes of dyeing, carding, spinning and weaving.  The movement is entirely disinterested and patriotic.  For terms and particulars, apply to the Hon. Sec. Miss Margaret Leith, Hall of St. George, Haslemere, Surrey.

THE MUSEUM OF PEASANT ART Kings Road, Haslemere

contains over one thousand objects of unique interest.  Open on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, 2.30-5.30.  Admission 6d."

extract from The Vineyard, No.3, 1910

Peasants at The Albert Hall, 1896

Reviews on the work of the Haslemere weaving movement began to appear in the press in 1896.  Following on from the report of Godfrey Blount's election to the parish council in Kirtlington in 1894 in my previous post, the next reference to Godfrey Blount in the popular press is at the Home Arts and Industries Exhibition at Albert Hall.  Here Blount and the work of Mrs Joseph King appears together for the first time.

Royal Albert Hall c. 1896

The Lichfield Mercury (10 July 1896) reported in their ‘Our Ladies’ Column’:

“I paid a most interesting visit a week or two since to the Exhibition of Home Arts and Industries at the Albert Hall…Some extremely beautiful work, bold and simple in design and refreshing in colour, was exhibited by Mr and Mrs Godfrey Blount, and of that also I hope to write to you more in detail some other time.

“I was much interested to find that the carving done by the Altrincham clubs had been taught by Mr Philips, once a foreman under Mr Faulkner Armitage.  But, all this time, I was trying to make my way to the hand-looms on which Mrs Joseph King has been teaching her village friends to do such good and artistic weaving; and even my friend, Miss Clive Bayley, with her Lapland loom and her kind offer of a cup of tea, failed to give me pause for more than a very few minutes, so bent was I on reaching Mrs King’s stall.  So much of Mrs King’s work, however, had already been sold, including the shelf bought by HRH the Princess of Wales, that I look forward to visiting her in her own country home near Haslemere and seeing for myself the weaving which is being done there under her guidance.  The designs are mainly the work of Mr Godfrey Blount and I am told that it is wonderful what new life and colour has been put into the lives of the women who have learned to weave them.  Mrs King told me some time ago that it was merely the work itself which seemed to be a new interest for them, but it was as if, through the educating power of the work, the whole field of the lives became brighter and more intelligent.  

“I know how long Mrs King has had this desire at heart, and how quietly and patiently she has achieved it, and I could not see and handle the durable promising textures, woven on her looms in such simple grace of pattern and of colour, without some sense of the sacredness of outward things when at the heart of them, beauty and helpfulness are at one.  Mrs King is a daughter of Mr Hine, the former vice-president of the Royal Institute of Water Colours, whose pictures only need to be known in order to be loved.”