An issue of the Society’s newsletter, transcribed from the original.
(14 pages, 2.5 MB)
the full-resolution scan, 40 MB, for close research
Page 1 — NEW FIELDS
Canadian
Leathercraft
Volume I No IV June 1952
NEW FIELDS
This issue's typing leaves out full stops throughout: sentences run on with only a wider space where a period belongs, printed exactly so.
Summer months might well offer Canadian leathercraftsmen their annual periods of relaxation and leisure time to "take stock" of past achievements We may also enjoy chances to plan for our next more active fall-winter-spring season of craft activities
Let's use our summer months to experiment with materials and tools; let's resolve also to experiment in design, so that our next season's efforts will reflect some evidence of our readiness to be creative rather than imitative
Our new design ideas should be "captured" into convenient sketch pads Whenever visiting new fields be ready to jot down interesting impressions for future reference
Visits to museums and antique shops to study old hand-crafted products; visits to specialty shops for ideas in contemporary craft designs; visits to craft studios for talks with experienced craftsmen -- all suggest ways to highlight our summer travels Then, if we will but apply the many lessons we can learn from such use of summer time, we shall have laid the groundwork for a more interesting and progressive season of winter leathercraft
Page 6 of this issue of our Bulletin reviews some of the achievements of our Society since formation Having gained recognition among the more experienced Canadian cultural societies, our efforts from now on will be watched with more than passing interest It will remain up to us - as individual members and as an organized Society - to demonstrate that we may measure up to expectations
Through "Canadian Leathercraft" CSCL members may learn of new and important services to be developed for the interest of our field Watch for the beginning of Volume II - commencing in September a quarterly educational bulletin — in the interests of fine leathercraftmanship published by the Canadian Society of Creative Leathercraft
Page 2 — Notice
Notice
CSCL Fees are Due and Payable in June of each year.
All registered and prospective members are requested to complete the new and revised REGISTRATION FORM now being circulated. Form with fee ($2.00) should be sent to the Treasurer:
Mr Robert Muma
62 McGill Street
Toronto - Ontario
Registered Members receive "Canadian Leathercraft" - official quarterly educational bulletin of the Canadian Society of Creative Leathercraft - serving:
-- the novice craftsman
-- the leathercraft instructor
-- the experienced amateur and professional craftsman
-- tanners, leathercraft supply houses and manufacturers
-- the general public appreciating fine articles in leather
“Color Decoration and Finishing of Leather” by Robert Muma
A comprehensive 24-page book 8½" x 11" on every phase of this subject. It includes exercises in color. Price... $1.50. Mumart Studios of Creative Leathercraft, 62 McGill Street, Toronto, Ont.
Garnett — Type I Aqueous Antique Dyes for Leather
Rouge, Golden Tan, Havana Brown, Chestnut Brown. Water Resistant Polish Coat.
Safe and easy to apply — ask your dealer for them. Garnett Company, 442 Spadina Avenue, Toronto.
This page carries a Society membership-fee notice, naming Treasurer Robert Muma, and two advertisements, set out here in full.
Page 3 — The Leather Carvers' Guild of London
The Leather Carvers' Guild of London
Two years ago at this time, the people on Dorinda Street wondered what was taking place at 475 For two weeks there was a scene of continuous activity and a sound of heavy tapping could be heard through it all This was the foundation of the "Leather Carvers' Guild of London" beginning under the capable guidance of Jack McDougall of Toronto Thirteen people in all were, in ten days, taking what was normally a fourteen week course in Leather Carving
In the final evening of their classes, students organized themselves as the "Leather Carvers' Guild of London" with Margaret Jennings as President, Helen Wheaton, Secretary, Edythe Stewart, Treasurer and Arthur Burgess, Manager of Supplies Jack McDougall and Margaret McDougall were elected Honorary President and Honorary Vice-President At the next annual meeting Clair Mitchener was made Vice-President The original membership has now been doubled
The constitution and by-laws were drawn up, with meetings to be held on the fourth Monday of the month Those seeking membership must try a working examination- set, supervised and judged by a Board of Examiners After passing the examination a two dollar initiation fee is required with dues at twenty-five cents a month, or two dollars a year in advance
The Guild has put on displays and demonstrations at Western Fair, the "y" Hobby Fair and various church fairs in London and St. Thomas Members will be seen in action both at CNE and Western Fair this fall
Leathercraft classes in night schools held in Beal Technical, Princess Elizabeth, Arva Collegiate and YM, YWCA Classes are taught by Guild members, as are groups in Leather Carving at Beck Memorial Sanitorium As a group they conducted classes in Carving at "Y" Craft Shop, with practically every member teaching under the direction of the President
The majority of the Guild are individual members of the Canadian Society of Creative Leathercraft and, as a group, seek to co-operate with the Leathercraft Society to the fullest possible extent In February, they sponsored the Travelling Exhibition in the Art Gallery of the Public Library for four days Demonstrations of many types of leathercraft were held each evening Regular monthly meetings are opened to the public on special occasions such as;
Ray Potter of Lewiscraft, Toronto, with a showing of supplies, and featuring Don MacKinnon, expert leather carver with a display and demonstration
Page 4 — NEWS ITEM; Mr. Leather Suggests
Dr and Mrs Ralph Larmour of Toronto, demonstrating use of Garnett Antiques and Finishes, featuring some of Mrs Larmour's beautifully finished work
Two separate showings of the Craftool Film on Leather
Carving by Joey Smith of Los Angeles
On its solid foundation, the Guild seeks to expand its membership and increase its supplies, its knowledge and, in time, to have its own workshop where members and other leathercrafters may come to work in companshionship to procure materials and instruction
Printed "companshionship", evidently meant for "companionship".
Report by: Mrs Margaret Jennings, President
London Leather Carvers' Guild
NEWS ITEM
The Leathercraft Club of the Kirkland Lake Arts and Crafts Association held a 3-day Leathercraft Workshop Conference May 9-11 at Kirkland Lake
The Workshop was conducted by Deane Russell, Ottawa, who demonstrated for the twenty-three student craftsmen attending the conference Demonstrations included: stamping, tooling, wheel embossing and finishing leather belts; forming, decorating and finishing hand-molded leather trays from 6-7 iron sole leather; antique finishing with oil paints and water soluble dyes, as well as colouring with aniline spirit dyes
A display of more advanced projects suggested a wide range of possibilities for student craftsmen All students completed two or three items and felt they need not lack for ideas as to "What shall I do next?"
Mr. Leather Suggests
If you must polish sterling silver mounted on valuable hand-tooled leathergoods, and have not proper leather masking materials to prevent silver polishing compounds from spoiling fine leather surfaces - try rubbing over the silver with crumpled white tissue paper The leather finish will not be marred, and the silverwork will gleam
Page 5 — Canadian Arts Council Admits New Member
Canadian Arts Council Admits New Member
At the sixth annual conference of the Canadian Arts Council, held recently in Montreal, the Canadian Society of Creative Leathercraft became the eighteenth member of the permanent national organization of Canadian cultural organizations
The Canadian Arts Council grew out of the Arts Reconstruction Committee, after its hearing before a Special Committee of the House of Commons on Reconstruction and Rehabilitation
Deane Russell, Ottawa, President of the Canadian Society of Creative Leathercraft, represented fellow Canadian leathercraftsmen during a hearing of the Leathercraft Society's application for membership in the CAC
Questioned as to the status, objectives and program of the Leathercraft Society, Mr Russell reported that both professional and amateur decorative leathercraftsmen formed the membership, and that the Society's two chief objectives were to encourage originality in design and to establish high standards of leathercraftsmanship To undertake this program, the Society had already commenced publication of a quarterly educational bulletin, and had organized a travelling exhibition offered for study by leathercraft groups and the general public across Canada
Among the many special services rendered by the CAC, may be mentioned:
-- appointing Canadian representatives to General Assemblies of UNESCO (United Nations Economic, Social and Cultural Organization)
-- distributing 60,000 color prints of Canadian art to school rooms in Europe
-- assisting in the formation of three provincial art boards
-- preparing Federal Government publications on Canadian Art for overseas distribution
-- acting as consultants to the Federal Government on matters relating to Canadian cultural programs
In short, the CAC acts as the co-ordinating voice of the artist in matters pertaining to the arts of Canada
The acceptance of the Canadian Society of Creative Leathercraft as the newest member society in the CAC marks an important step towards raising the status of Canadian leathercraft Henceforth, the Leathercraft Society may be expected to share in the responsibility of interpreting Canadian leather art at important cultural events where decorative leathercraftsmen may be invited to participate
Page 6 — Progress Report
Progress Report
The third birthday of the Canadian Society of Creative Leathercraft was observed during the annual meeting of the Society at Toronto, May 31, 1952
After attending to routine business of hearing committee reports, electing executive officers, appointing committee chairman (see page 12), delegates enjoyed a surprise program feature offered by Dr R K Larmour, Toronto, who showed his beginning of a fine collection of color slide films -- using as the basis for his collection all pieces composing the Society's Travelling Exhibition Dr Larmour's colored slide films showed in clear and graphic detail the possibilities of decorative leathercraft Also among the films were slides which brought glimpses of leathercraft in the Southwestern United States - including a splendid record of the Larmours' visit to F 0 Baird, widely known leather carver, author and instructor of Manitou Springs, Colorado
Delegates considered planning for next year's annual meeting to be conducted as a day-long or week-end conference, in order to cover more adequately the numerous business and program features which it was felt would interest members able to attend annual meetings of the Society
To help field members understand more of the scope of services rendered fellow craftsmen in the short time since the formation of the CSCL, we offer the following outline of achievements to date:
1) CSCL formed - May 1950
2) "Canadian Leathercraft" - official quarterly educational bulletin; widely sought by instructors, individuals and groups of leathercraftsmen; a unique publication for our field; feature articles have dealt with: -- Antique Finishing with Oils
-- Tannery article - "What is Good Leather?" -- Antique Finishing with Water Soluble Dyes -- Natural Russet Leathers - most important for decorative leathercraftsmen
-- Analysis of "Contemporary Canadian Leathercraft" -- Leather Plaque Carving
3) Travelling Exhibition under name of "Canadian Handmades in Leather" -- an educational service to scattered Canadian leathercraft groups which is arousing new interests and enthusiasm for decorative leathercraft wherever it appears
4) Appointed judges for 1951 and 1952 leathercraft sections of Canadian
National Exhibition
5) Invited to appoint leathercraft member of jury for next Art Gallery of Toronto crafts display - 1953
6) Recommended leathercraft instructors for several boards of education 7) Application accepted for membership in Canadian Arts Council (see page 5)-
Page 7 — Who's Who in Canadian Leathercraft; Our Thanks for Special Publicity to:
Progress Report (continued)
Special Projects Planned:
-- exhibitions and competitions of interest to Canadian leathercraftsmen -- introduction of illustrations for "Canadian Leathercraft" articles -- color slide film library of outstanding examples of contemporary and antique leather art
-- permanent collection of foreign country leathercraft
Watch future issues of "Canadian Leathercraft" for further details of above and other projects of interest and importance to Canadian leathercraftsmen
Who's Who in Canadian Leathercraft
(to acquaint field members of CSCL with the interests and achievements of fellow leathercraftsmen)
Mrs Reta Larmour - Toronto
Mrs Larmour, formerly of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, became interested in leathercraft through the Leathercraft Group of the Kingsway Women's Club of Toronto
She has studied leathercraft under a number of prominent teachers, including Edith Roscoe, Jack McDougall, Robert Muma and Tiva Limberg of Toronto, and Nila Joel of California
During the past four years Mrs Larmour has competed in many of the major exhibitions in Toronto, Vancouver, London and Ottawa, winning numerous awards, including the Bedford Trophy for 1951 from the Pacific National Exhibition, Vancouver and has had work accepted in the 1951 Canadian Crafts Exhibition, Art Gallery of Toronto
Mrs Larmour has served as Secretary of the CSCL for the past two years, and is now Chairman of the Travelling Exhibition Committee of the CSCL
Our Thanks for Special Publicity to:
Mona Gould - for her "New Liberty" colum story (April) about our Society; also for her several radio program references to CSCL Brian Chernoff - for his splendid 2-page, illustrated story in Canadian Hobby-Craft" Magazine - June) about the formation and activities of CSCL
CANADIAN PRESS - for widely-used story about our Travelling Exhibition
Page 8 — Leather Plaque Carving
Leather Plaque Carving
by Don W MacKinnon
"One Misty, Moisty Morning - When Cloudy was the Weather; I chanced to meet an Old Man - Clothed all in Leather He began to Compliment me - And I began to Grin
How do you do, How do you do, And how do you do Agin" This bit of verse came to light some time ago, during a leathercraft discussion with our good friend Deane Russell -
"Think it would provide a theme for a leather carved picture, Don? " "It might, Deane Let's mull it over for awhile Perhaps it will clear in time" It's a catchy thing, this verse, and the words, "Misty, Moisty Morning" seem to intrude into our thoughts time after time A sort of friendly, cheerful groups of words, these, and so many Misty, Moisty Mornings from which to choose So many reminiscent of Ontario in the Fall Cheerful and laughing young Canada on the way to school in the morning, kicking the damp, fallen leaves from the wet pavement The wet, black circles of last night's bon fires Picking mushrooms on a misty September morning; gathering walnuts, butternuts; dripping multicolored trees Nature fattening up for Winter Perhaps we have the making of a picture here
Is it the complascent bellowing of the ore carriers passing in the fog on the St Claire? Is it the two beagle hound puppies yelling exultingly to the wide world of their new found love in the moist, hot scent of the baby cottontail? Remember the skylark after the sun burst through the fog, up in front of Loos? Is it the drenched and bedraggled Cocker, Mickey, feathering like mad to drive a reluctant cock pheasant into the air? Or the bluebill that plopped in among the decoys up at Stoke's Bay? Ideas are becoming really interesting now and they call for a family conference
Printed "St Claire"; most likely the St. Clair River.
Results? Who was the Old Man all dressed in leather? Fur Trader? Trapper? Coureur des Bois? Dan'l Boone? Leatherstockings? Drums along the Mohawk ? Kentucky long rifles? A trend of thought takes on meaning during discussion Surely a background of misty, trailing vapour, near a marsh Getting closer The old story of the boy and the fish, changed to the backwoods lad and the city dude Good! Disdainful, aristocratic looking setters, potlicker hounds? That's it! Suggestions from all sides Jane then goes to work with pencil and sketching pad
There is no paragraph break here; the sentence runs on across a line ending, "pencil" / "and sketching pad".
Then the fun started What to do with the sketch? How to translate it to leather with tools and finishing materials? A plump shoulder cut out of about nine-ounce russet cowhide was finally decided upon
Page 9
The leather was thoroughly soaked and left to case between a piece of plate glass and a marble slab After a few days, and when the material was judged to be of proper moisture content, the sketch was carefully traced with a sharp pointed, hard pencil
Leather was again dampened and placed under glass At the proper time, all figures were cut in by swivel knife, using three different blades: 1/2" hollow ground blade; 1/4" and one ground to less than 1/8" The smallest blade ground thin for fine detail cutting
All figures were bevelled in with both plain and cross-checked bevellers, the latter used where deep shadow was required and of course at different depths Undercut bevellers were used on all human figures and to increase the third dimension wherever possible Details of figures, marsh grass, et cetera, were bevelled with plain and checked bevellers in conjunction with a narrow, spoon shaped modelling tool The modelling tool was used to give soft lines to clothing wrinkles, mist wraiths and uneveness of foreground Stamp 935 was reworked to about 1/16" to aid modeller in fine details of faces Hair, dog ears, coonskin cap, et cetera, were cut in hanks, bevelled and finely cut with a swivel knife Detail of ducks, cut in with the knife Different size dot stamps were used for buttons
The Society wrote "uneveness" for "unevenness" here; kept as printed.
The sky background was stamped in with reworked 885 to give slightly contrasting texture to mist wraiths which were softly bevelled with modeller Tree was slightly undercut Deep shadow, where required, was stamped in with 889, deep, and 105, lighter During all these operations, depth of tooling was guided by color tones produced in the leather Consistent dampness was sought at all times and the project was kept under glass during lapses in working time
Upon completion of tooling, figures were well dampened and embossed from the flesh side of the leather When dry, cotton and glue were used to give stability The project was again dampened and reworked from the grain side until satisfactory depth contrast was achieved
When thoroughly dried a coat of thin shellac was applied with a cloth pad (use shellac with caution) Next, a coat of antique paste was brushed on and immediately removed from highlights and sky, securing good shadow background When the assembly had sufficiently cured, we turned to the idea of color This phase was placed in more capable hands and the writer bowed out
Jane took over and provided the color sequence with artists oils and mostly in sympathetic colors The big problem was to make the brown leather look "misty" white
Altogether, this was a difficult, though satisfactory family effort A wealth of experiences was gained and new ideas produced - and so another one for the record
Page 10
The "Misty, Moisty Morning" now having past, we are eagerly looking forward to our next effort - a country square dance group - caller, fiddler and all!
A lot of good subjects to try in this Canada of ours!
Editor's Note: As token return for his effort, we greatly enjoyed
"trading" with Don a piece of equipment for his Studio - one of our leather stitching horses, which Don and Ray Potter recently piled into the Lewiscraft station wagon for their return trip to Toronto
COO
STUDIO OF LEATHER CARVING
Individual Instruction in Elementary and Advanced - LEATHER CARVING -
Custom Designing & Patterns --- Limited Enrolment
D W MacKinnon, Studio, 6 Irwin Street, Toronto, Ontario
To Canadian Leathercraftsmen
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO WRITE OR VISIT OUR STUDIOS TO DISCUSS YOUR INTERESTS AND NEEDS IN DECORATIVE LEATHERCRAFT
FINE CRAFT LEATHERS — SELECTED LEATHERWORKING
TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES
a Leathercraft Service by leathercraft specialists
Ottawa Valley Leathercraft Studios 116 O'CONNOR STREET
OTTAWA — ONTARIO WRITE FOR CATALOG
Page 11
Fine Craftsmanship Depends on Good Materials
Select your leather as carefully as you choose your design or pattern -- it is essential to your success
Horsfield's Hand Grained English Morocco is tanned, grained and finished by a craftsman of over 50 years experience Produced in bag substance or mossed back billfold -- in choice of ten colors
Tooling and carving cowhide by Wickett & Craig, one of our finest Canadian tanners Renowned for its mellow texture and fine selection Available in sides, shoulders, bends or flanks
Genuine Russian Calf -- in bag or billfold weight, in natural russet, black and brown The perfection in tooling leather
LEATHER TOOLS - Our tools are custom made by manufacturers selected for their ability to produce fine tools
Buy with confidence, knowing that every item we sell is unconditionally guaranteed to give satisfaction
CORBEIL-HOOKE INC.
Handicraft and Artists Supplies of Quality 1218 Drummond Street
Montreal 25, P Q
Page 12
QUALITY LEATHER SUPPLIES AND PERSONALIZED SERVICE YOURS AT LEWISCRAFT!
We are anxious to help you solve your Leathercraft needs and problems! : Let us Air Mail to you, pamphlets showing the wide variety of leathers and tooling supplies we have to offer!,
WRITE TO-DAY TO:
Mail Order Building
5 8 Bathurst Street "For Handicraft It's Lewiscraft"
Toronto - Ontario
Fine Leathers - Accessories - Supplies. Summer Camp Projects a Specialty. Complete new Catalogue soon. Birt Saddlery Co. Ltd. (The Leather Goods House), 519 Main Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
CSCL Executive
President and Editor "Canadian Leathercraft", Deane H Russell, 116 O'Connor Street, Ottawa
Vice-President, Mrs Margaret McFarlane, 1810 Lawrence Avenue West, Weston
Secretary, Mrs Edith Roscoe, 277 King Street, Weston
Treasurer, Robert Muma, 62 McGill Street, Toronto
Chairman, Membership Committee, Mrs Nora Lloyd, 15 Kelway Blvd, Toronto.
Chairman, Advertising Committee, Arthur Burgess, 134 William Street, London
Chairman, Travelling Exhibition Committee, Mrs Reta Larmour, 59 High Pk Blvd
The Executive list here and the Birt's advertisement above it had been rendered as tables with an always-empty second column; reset as the page's own running paragraph and list, and "CSCL Executive" restored as its own heading rather than a row of the advertisement's table.
Ottawa Member, Mrs Margaret Richardson, 364 Huron Avenue Regina Member, Mrs Lena M Totton, 2358 Ottawa Street, Regina
Page 13
A decorative line drawing: three hunters in period dress with packs, rifles and walking sticks, accompanied by several dogs, in a grassy landscape with a bare tree. No caption or text of its own is printed on the page (faint bleed-through of type from the facing page is visible but is not this page's content).
[Genuine illustration: a decorative line drawing of a hunting scene, no caption, no names.]
Page 14
Leather Plaque Carving
Some of our readers have written to ask whether "Canadian scenes" might be translated into leather Our ambitious and versatile leathercraft friend, Don MacKinnon, 6 Irwin Street, Toronto, has already completed many experimental efforts in this phase of decorative leatherworking His latest - a gift to the Editor - is described in the current Bulletin of "Canadian Leathercraft" for the information of readers interested in trying leather as a medium for interpreting "Canadian scenes" suggesting plaque-like decorative possibilities
Readers are invited to note particularly "the workings of the creative mind" -- through all phases of such a project; from receiving the original inspiration, to crystalizing the theme into a work plan; choice of leather, tools and finishing media Much thought and time must be spent in this manner by all "creative craftsmen"
In order to better illustrate the interesting possibilities of "Leather Plaque Carving" we have, for this issue, prepared an extra slip-page, showing a reduced sketch (about 1/5" actual size) of the original by Don's daughter, Jane We feel sure readers will agree, the MacKinnon family had a lot of fun, and produced a fine example of their creative thinking about "One Misty, Moisty Morning...."
For those who may like to explore the use of leather as a suitable medium for plaque-like interior decorating, we suggest:
-- combining leather with copper or aluminum modelling -- designing, tooling, embossing and coloring heavy leather masks
-- experimenting with full relief masks by hand-molding and baking
-- creative thinking in terms of natural or industrial Canadian scenes; or exercises in entirely original "fantasies" of plaque designing - mounted on polished natural wood panels
Whenever CSCL members may learn of similar experiments, remember your fellow leathercraftsmen would like to know of such achievements through "Canadian Leathercraft" Facilities will also be provided for the permanent recording in color slide films of any such examples as may be sent on short loan to the Editor
(Slip Page - "Canadian Leathercraft" - June 1952)