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Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft
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CSCL·The People·Awards and Ribbons
The People

Awards and Ribbons (page 5 of 9)

← The People · awards 113–140 of the 226 different awards and ribbons the records name · page 5 of 9 · People of the Society →

The awards the Society gave, as its own newsletter defined them, with the members the competition records show receiving them. Where the records name no recipient, none is invented here. Shown here in alphabetical order, split across 9 pages so each stays a reasonable size to load.

CSCL Judges Special Award

Awarded for one of the jurors' own discretionary awards at a Society biennial exhibition, alongside the named prizes.

At Leather '98 (Etobicoke City Hall Art Gallery, opened 8 January 1998), Dorothy Muma (Chairman) and juror Carol McLean handed out 6 "Juror's Awards" including the C.S.C.L. Judges Special Award, $100, won by Nancy Durham for a Hexigon Box. The same award recurred at Leather 2000 (Woodstock Museum), won by Bill Whittingham for a Molded Mask ("Serenity").

Recorded recipients

CSCL Judges' Special Choice

Awarded for the judges’ own favourite piece at Leather 2004.

Awarded at Leather 2004 (the biennial exhibition) to Loreen Manuel’s “Hummingbird Wall Display,” with the judges’ own comment printed beside it in the results: “A wonderful combination of textures, masterful use of colour.”

Recorded recipients

CSCL Special Judge's Award

Awarded for a judge's discretionary recognition at a Society biennial exhibition.

At the 1994 Bi-Ennial Exhibition, presented by judge Beula Reynolds to David Windeyer for his Push Box — "in a very pleasing medium brown colour. The inside box fits in with a good fit and pushes out much like a matchbox."

Recorded recipients

CSCL Special Judges Award (originality)

Awarded for originality, judged at a Society biennial exhibition.

At LEATHER 2010: CONTAINMENT, presented to Sean Dalgetty by Council of Fellows Chair David McPherson for a Red Covered Bottle.

Recorded recipients

Decorated Leather

One of the separately-sponsored classes at the Canadian Guild of Crafts (Ontario) competition held alongside the C.N.E. leathercraft classes. Sponsored by Tandy Leather both years it is on record: a $50.00 credit note in 1968, $35.00 in 1969 (Tandy Leather Co. of Canada Ltd., Barrie).

Recorded recipients

Design Canada Craft Award

Awarded for a piece of leathercraft selected in the federal 'Design Canada' Craft Awards program.

The Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce and the National Design Council sponsored the 'Design Canada' Craft Awards 1974 program, described in the newsletter as a response to requests from across the country for national recognition of Canadian crafts and craftsmen. Four pieces of C.S.C.L. leathercraft were selected: Louise Pomminville's Decorative Leather Bird and Dave Trotter's Leather Bracelet are named plainly; Irva Ford's Cuir Bouillé Jug and Rex Lingwood's Leather Belt are each printed with 'Honourable Mention' beside the name. The newsletter does not explain what distinguished the two groups, so both are recorded as printed, under this award and under 'Design Canada Craft Award Honourable Mention' for the pair naming it. The same four pieces, the same four names and the same two Honourable Mentions are printed again the following spring, in the Society's own 25th-anniversary retrospective (Spring 1975, page 11) — corroboration, not a second occasion; no new record filed for it.

Recorded recipients

Design Canada Craft Award Honourable Mention

Awarded for a piece of leathercraft cited 'Honourable Mention' among those selected in the federal 'Design Canada' Craft Awards program.

See 'Design Canada Craft Award': the same 1974 program, the same list of four selected pieces. Irva Ford's Cuir Bouillé Jug and Rex Lingwood's Leather Belt are the two of the four printed with 'Honourable Mention' beside the winner's name.

Recorded recipients

Don MacLeod Belt Buckle Award

Awarded for the best belt buckle.

“The Don MacLeod Belt Buckle Award has been created by Paul Kitchener of the Mississauga Branch and will be presented annually for the Best Belt Buckle,” announced beside Joyce Scruton’s tribute to Don MacLeod; the first recipient, that year, was Nancy Durham, FCSCL.

Recorded recipients

Fred Brown Award

Awarded for best dyed article.

Awarded for the best dyed article. Named for Fred Brown, a Fellow of the Society and early teacher of dyeing and finishing techniques.

Recorded recipients

Hard Sculpture Award

Awarded for best hard sculpture.

Awarded for the best hard sculpture; won, for example, by Kim Winchester for a Treasure Box in 2018. (The 2021 Growling Bear is filed under the separately named "Best Hard Sculpture".)

Recorded recipients

International Assembly Craftsmanship Ribbon

Awarded for a piece outstanding in workmanship at the International Assembly of Leather Craftsmen.

Instituted at the 9th International Assembly of Leather Craftsmen (Rochester, N.Y., May 1963) and, the newsletter says, “not to be confused with the Salon award”. The Salon judges of the previous year had felt that several articles were outstanding in their workmanship but lacked “that little extra something” to put them in the Salon class, and that some recognition should be given to such pieces. Every article on show was eligible; five judges sat, and a piece had to have the approval of three of them to take a ribbon. The judging was done early on the Saturday morning and the results were held back until the Salon judges had finished. Over thirty were given in the first year — the table prints 27 — and the newsletter notes that its continuance was left to the discretion of each Assembly’s Local Arrangements Committee. The page heads the column CRAFTSMAN RIBBONS while the report on the same issue’s page 2 calls it the Craftsmanship Ribbon. This is not the Society’s own Craftsman Ribbon, which is given at the C.S.C.L. Annual and judged by the Fellows. One ribbon in the 1963 table is bracketed across two makers, Dee Esler and Bee Marble of Flint; their two records carry no count, so that the counts recorded here still add to the 27 the page prints. It was repeated at the 10th Assembly in Toronto in May 1964 — “the Craftsmanship awards proved so popular last year in Rochester we are repeating them this year”, the hosts wrote — so the discretion the newsletter left to each Local Arrangements Committee was exercised in its favour at the next Assembly (newsletter 1963-64-winter p1). The 10th Assembly's Craftsmanship Ribbons follow, all 26 the page prints: 16 to the C.S.C.L. display, 4 to the Frontier Leathercraft Guild, 1 to the Michigan Leather Artisans, 2 to Detroit, 2 to the Flint Leathercraft Guild and 1 to the Eastern Leathercraft Guild (newsletter 1964-summer p2).

Recorded recipients

International Assembly Salon Exhibit

Awarded for a piece selected for the International Assembly's Salon exhibit — not a competitive placing, but a representative cross-section of the general exhibit.

At the 7th International Assembly of Leathercraftsmen (Vineland, Ontario, 5-7 May 1961), the newsletter describes "The Salon, including pieces selected by Mrs. de Pedery Hunt and Paul Payne from the general exhibit," as "a good representative cross section of it" — distinct from the tiered "Honor Award"/"Honorable Mention" wording used in 1957 and 1959, and from the "Salon Ribbon" used from 1962 on. Each entrant's piece is described individually rather than placed: 17 pieces from 12 makers are listed, including Bea Austin's scalloped-edge tray, H. (Harvey) Frick's three pieces for Michigan Leather, and Sadie Roebuck's smoking stand and covered humidor.

Recorded recipients

  • Anne Hook 1961 Coasters, design by lino cut, coloured background and splatter border, Toronto, Ont., CSCL
  • Bea Austin 1961 Tray, golden brown, about 7 inches, softly moulded scalloped edge, with brown handle, Hamilton, Ont., CSCL
  • Carol Ruflin 1961 Doll, about 10 inches long, suede leather with loosely jointed soft body, Rochester, N.Y.
  • Clarice Packham 1961 Ladies gloves, Weston, Ont., CSCL
  • Clarice Packham 1961 Men's gloves, Weston, Ont., CSCL
  • D. Fielding 1961 Belt, dark brown with light lacing, Hamilton, Ont., CSCL
  • Endel Ruberg 1961 Correspondence folder, 3 tones of blue, with birds inlaid in white, Montreal, Que.
  • Harvey Frick 1961 Brief case, no stitching, glued seams, light golden finish, Michigan Leather Artisans
  • Harvey Frick 1961 Heavy utility bag, carved line decoration, leather studs on base, Michigan Leather Artisans
  • Harvey Frick 1961 Tote bag, plain brown, novelty leather straps supports, yellow and brown plastic straps with leather hand holds, Michigan Leather Artisans
  • Huldy Gutekunst 1961 Cuff links, heavy leather, simple, well done decoration, Frontier Leathercraft Guild
  • Jean Newton 1961 Waste basket, a beautiful heavy utility piece, solid and well made, with two opposite cutouts for handles, Toronto, Ont., CSCL
  • Jessie Trew 1961 Belt, quite plain with natural finish, Toronto, Ont., CSCL
  • Lillian Neelands 1961 Belt, contour, 2 buckles, back fastening, Georgetown, Ont., CSCL
  • Lillian Neelands 1961 Tote bag, mahogany finish, heavy and beautiful, linen saddle stitching, Georgetown, Ont., CSCL
  • Sadie Roebuck 1961 Humidor covered in calf with hammered design, Toronto, Ont., CSCL
  • Sadie Roebuck 1961 Smoking stand: base, pipe rack and match container made from sole leather, Toronto, Ont., CSCL

International Assembly Salon Exhibit Honor Award

Awarded for an outstanding piece in the Salon Exhibit at the International Assembly.

The 3rd International Assembly at Detroit in 1956 resolved to give special recognition to outstanding leatherwork by holding a Salon Exhibit at future Assemblies. Held at the 4th Assembly in 1957, hosted by the Eastern Leathercraft Guild (judged by William Fraatz of the Museum of Arts and Science, Rochester; Harold Brennan, Chairman of the Division of Arts at the School of American Craftsmen; and Geneva Ihle of the Rochester Board of Education), and again at the 5th Assembly in 1959, hosted by the Flint Leathercraft Guild at the Durant Hotel, Flint, Michigan (the paper does not name the 1959 judges). The Society printed the American spellings “Honor Award” and “Honorable Mention” for these, and they are kept here. This is not the Society’s own later Salon Ribbon.

Recorded recipients

  • Deane Russell 1957 wastepaper basket with all-over carving of tossed leaves, suited to the nature of the article, CSCL
  • Edith Roscoe 1957 glove box, beautifully proportioned, in well-blended colours, with pine cone decoration, CSCL
  • Reta Larmour 1957 small handbag, well finished and well proportioned, with restrained decoration, CSCL
  • Robert Muma 1957 leather binding of "Klee Wyck" with gold-tooled totem pole decoration on spine and covers, CSCL
  • Dorothea Slater 1959 chessboard and fitted box of leather, Michigan Leather Artisans
  • Liz Freriks 1959 modern handbag in natural leather with a Chinese motif in brown on the flap, assembled without stitching or lacing, Michigan Leather Artisans

International Assembly Salon Exhibit Honorable Mention

Awarded for a piece named by the Salon judges after the Honor Awards.

The 3rd International Assembly at Detroit in 1956 resolved to give special recognition to outstanding leatherwork by holding a Salon Exhibit at future Assemblies. Held at the 4th Assembly in 1957, hosted by the Eastern Leathercraft Guild (judged by William Fraatz of the Museum of Arts and Science, Rochester; Harold Brennan, Chairman of the Division of Arts at the School of American Craftsmen; and Geneva Ihle of the Rochester Board of Education), and again at the 5th Assembly in 1959, hosted by the Flint Leathercraft Guild at the Durant Hotel, Flint, Michigan (the paper does not name the 1959 judges). The Society printed the American spellings “Honor Award” and “Honorable Mention” for these, and they are kept here. This is not the Society’s own later Salon Ribbon.

Recorded recipients

  • Lara Russell 1957 saddle-type shoulder bag in dark brown tones, simple design, excellent workmanship, CSCL
  • Melba Fisher 1957 portrait of her small daughter, "Land of Make-Believe", surrounded by reproductions of the daughter’s artistic impressions of the world around her, Detroit Leathercrafters
  • Richard Austin 1957 tote bag of plain, functional shape in soft colours, entered jointly with Mrs. Austin, Michigan Leather Artisans
  • Toni Genco 1957 spirit bottle with brown braided sleeve and pineapple weave on the cork, Eastern Leathercraft Guild
  • Toni Genco 1957 tailored braided belt, Eastern Leathercraft Guild
  • Margaret Hazzard 1959 covered box in dark brown with a semi-precious stone inlaid on top, CSCL
  • Nora Huyck 1959 over-shoulder bookcover for a bird book, in dark brown, CSCL
  • Robert Muma 1959 leather-bound book in rust calf with gold-tooled decoration, CSCL
  • Shirley Austin 1959 stamped bowling bag
  • Thelma Greenman 1959 softly-draped belt in natural leather
  • Toni Genco 1959 Doodle Page case with woven lacing decoration, Rochester
  • Wavel Smith 1959 stitched tote bag, Detroit

International Assembly Salon Ribbon

Awarded for a piece judged “best in show” in the Salon at the International Assembly of Leathercraftsmen.

Not to be confused with the Society's own Salon Ribbon, given at the C.S.C.L. Annual and judged by the Fellows. From 1960 the Salon at the International Assembly stopped naming Honor Awards and Honorable Mentions. The judges instead went over the whole of the participating guilds’ displays and picked out the pieces for the Salon, and the makers of the pieces judged “best in show” were given a Salon Ribbon at the Assembly banquet. At the 6th Assembly (Buffalo, 1960) 34 pieces were selected and 10 of them came from the C.S.C.L. display, but the newsletter printed no names. At the 8th Assembly (Hotel Wolverine, Detroit, 5 May 1962) ten pieces were judged best in show and Larry DeRosia presented the royal purple ribbons; those ten are recorded here. The 1962 judges were William A. Allen, Professor of Art at Wayne State University, and Wilfred C. Becker, Head of Industrial Design and Associate Professor of Art at the same university, who selected on originality, workmanship, technique and suitability to leather. The Hamilton Branch's annual report for 1962/63 corroborates the list: it says that “of the six Canadians who were awarded Salon Ribbons, three of these so honoured were from the Hamilton group, namely, Irva Ford, Mr. Frank Torry, and Alvin Haig”. Six of the ten pieces recorded here were entered from Canadian towns, and exactly those three are from Hamilton — so the branch report describes the same Detroit Salon of May 1962 and not a later one. At the 9th Assembly (Rochester, N.Y., early May 1963) the Salon judges worked from nine o’clock on the Saturday morning in a room closed to everyone else, and 31 Salon Ribbons were awarded: 20 to the C.S.C.L. display, 7 to Toni Genco of the Eastern Leathercraft Guild, 2 to the Frontier Leathercraft Guild of Buffalo, and one each to the Michigan Leather Artisans and the Flint Leathercraft Guild. The 1963 newsletter prints the winners as a table of names and ribbon counts rather than naming the pieces, so those records carry a count and no object. The 10th Assembly was hosted by the Society itself at the Park Plaza Hotel, Toronto, 1–3 May 1964: the exhibits and Salon in the Gold Room, the demonstrations in the Plaza Room and the banquet in the Empress Room, with Mr. Douglas Duncan and Mr. Robert Muma, both Craftsmen, as the judges for the Salon awards (newsletter 1963-64-winter p1). The 10th Assembly's own Salon Ribbons follow, all 20 the page prints: 11 to the C.S.C.L. display (Barrie, Toronto, Hamilton and London members), 3 to the Frontier Leathercraft Guild of Buffalo, 1 to the Michigan Leather Artisans, 4 to Detroit and 1 to the Flint Leathercraft Guild (newsletter 1964-summer p2).

Recorded recipients

International Federation of Leather Guilds Show, 1st Prize

Awarded for 1st place in a judged category at the International Federation of Leather Guilds' annual show.

Same 1990 Federation show (Indianapolis, 11–15 October) as the “1st Prize & Best of Category” and “2nd Prize” entries: judged by division (Masters/Open/Juniors & Beginners) and lettered/numbered category, with a written judges' critique. A plain “1st Prize” is a category placing, distinct from “1st Prize & Best of Cat.,” which additionally names the piece the best the judges saw in that category. All three of this award's rows are one member's: Betsy Rennie, for a Fanny Bag (Category B-5, Masters), a Loonie Bin (Category B-7, Masters) and a Pocket Secretary (Category C-2, Masters).

Recorded recipients

  • Betsy Rennie 1990 Fanny Bag, Category B-5 (Masters Division)
  • Betsy Rennie 1990 Loonie Bin, Category B-7 (Masters Division)
  • Betsy Rennie 1990 Pocket Secretary, Category C-2 (Masters Division)

International Federation of Leather Guilds Show, 1st Prize & Best of Category

Awarded for 1st place in a judged category at the International Federation of Leather Guilds' annual show, named the outright best of that category.

The Federation show (International Federation of Leather Guilds, e.g. Indianapolis, 11–15 October 1990) is judged by division — Masters, Open, or Juniors & Beginners — and by lettered/numbered category (e.g. “C-3”, “D-3”, “F-3”); teams of two or three judges score each category and leave a written critique with the piece. “1st Prize & Best of Cat.” is the top placing a category can carry — not merely 1st among CSCL entrants, but named the best piece the judges saw in that category.

Recorded recipients

International Federation of Leather Guilds Show, 2nd Prize

Awarded for 2nd place in a judged category at the International Federation of Leather Guilds' annual show.

The Federation show (International Federation of Leather Guilds, e.g. Indianapolis, 11–15 October 1990) is judged by division — Masters, Open, or Juniors & Beginners — and by lettered/numbered category (e.g. “B-5”, “F-1”); teams of two or three judges score each category and leave a written critique with the piece. Over 400 pieces were entered from eleven countries in 1990. A 2nd Prize is a category placing one rank below the category's 1st Prize (which, unlike here, can itself be named “Best of Category”).

Recorded recipients

  • Betsy Rennie 1990 Monarch Butterfly, Category F-1 (Masters Division)
  • Cliff McTavish 1990 Standing Picture Frame, Category F-2 (Open Division)
  • Lillian Kay 1990 Cat Face Key Fob, Category C-3 (Masters Division)
  • Lillian Kay 1990 Cat Tote Bag, Category B-5 (Masters Division)
  • Lillian Kay 1990 Laminated, Spatterdyed Picture Frame, Category F-2 (Masters Division)
  • Lois MacPherson 1990 Wood Sprite Mask, Category F-1 (Open Division)

International Federation of Leather Guilds Show, 3rd Prize

Awarded for 3rd place in a judged category at the International Federation of Leather Guilds' annual show.

Same 1990 Federation show as the show's other placings (see “1st Prize & Best of Category”), one rank below the category's 2nd Prize. This registry entry's only row: Betsy Rennie, Inlay Card Case, Category C-3 (Masters Division).

Recorded recipients

  • Betsy Rennie 1990 Inlay Card Case, Category C-3 (Masters Division)

International Federation of Leather Guilds Show, Honorable Mention

Awarded for an Honorable Mention in a judged category at the International Federation of Leather Guilds' annual show.

Same 1990 Federation show as the show's other placings (see “1st Prize & Best of Category”), a judges' recognition below the numbered placings in a category. Two rows: Lillian Kay, Bracelet, Earrings & Barrette (Category D-7, Masters Division), and Lois MacPherson, Bracelet/Earrings (Category D-7, Open Division).

Recorded recipients

  • Lillian Kay 1990 Bracelet, Earrings & Barrette, Category D-7 (Masters Division)
  • Lois MacPherson 1990 Bracelet/Earrings, Category D-7 (Open Division)

Irva Ford Award

Awarded for best molded piece.

This award is given for the best molded piece at the Annual if there is not a Biennial that year.

Recorded recipients

Jack Meharg Award

Awarded for best belt (biennial).

Awarded at the Biennial for the best belt, in honour of Jack Meharg.

Recorded recipients

Jean Hunter Award

Awarded for the novice leathercrafter showing the most advancement on their articles.

A $100 award announced at the 38th Annual General Meeting (1988) by Jessie Little, for the novice leathercrafter who shows the most advancement on their articles, to be given every second year. The two records of that meeting give different starting years: the newsletter's own report says the award is "to be given every second year beginning in 1988" (1988-spring p2), while the minutes of the same meeting, printed in the 39th Annual Meeting 1989 programme, say "The Council of Fellows decided that the Jean Hunter Award be given every second year starting in 1989". Both are recorded as printed.

No recipient is recorded in the surviving records.

John Mather Award

Awarded for a memorial award of the Society.

A memorial award of the Society; won by Ruth Haig FCSCL in 2005.

Recorded recipients

Judges Special Choice Award

Awarded for most originality and panache at a Biennial.

Awarded at a Biennial for the entry showing the most originality and panache.

Recorded recipients

Judges' Critique

Awarded for not a named competition award — a judges' critique record.

This entry is not a named competition award. The newsletter prints judges' critique commentary and a percentage score for individual pieces rather than a winner list; e.g. the Eagle Picture among Paul Kitchener's 2006 Associate pieces — "elaborate embossing technique... well executed" — scored 88.5%.

Recorded recipients

Junior Award

Awarded for recognition for a junior (youth) member's entry, awarded as a kit of tools.

At the 2011 Annual, awarded to Julia Malec for a Leaf Picture; the prize is printed as "(kit of tools)" rather than a cash amount. Compare the Participation ribbon given to the four youngest exhibitors at the 2008 Annual (see "Junior Members at Work", same year's spring newsletter), a different, non-competitive recognition.

Recorded recipients

Leather '74 Award

Awarded for one of three named prizes at Leather '74, the Society's own juried exhibition.

Leather '74 ran at the Forest Hill Library Learning Resources Centre, Toronto, from 3 to 29 June 1974: ninety-two articles were entered by thirty-three people, of which sixty-eight were accepted for the show by a jury from the Council of Fellows. President Helen Wheaton opened the exhibition on 8 June with Robert Secord of the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, introduced by Exhibition Chairman Irva Ford. Judges Robert Muma, F.C.S.C.L., and Paul Bennett, Executive Director of the Canadian Guild of Crafts (Ontario), selected the prize-winning pieces; vice-presidents May Corbett and Beula Reynolds presented the other two prizes. Three named prizes were given, each by a different donor: the Canadian Guild of Crafts (Ontario)'s own award for best leather article, the Society's own award for most original entry, and the Executive Council's award for best functional design — told apart here by their class and their donor. See also 'Leather '74 Memorial Award' and 'Leather '74 Honourable Mention'. Found nowhere else in the archive.

Recorded recipients

  • Anne Hook 1974 Laminated Jar (Best Functional Design) — prize given by Executive Council of C.S.C.L.
  • Daphne Lingwood 1974 Purse (Most Original Entry) — prize given by Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft
  • Itsuko Yasui 1974 Book Cover (Best Leather Article) — prize given by Canadian Guild of Crafts (Ontario)

Definitions transcribed from the award tables printed in the Canadian Leathercraft. Recipients taken from the Society’s competition records. Some awards were recorded under a shorthand name in one source and a formal name in the other; where the newsletter’s own definition makes the pair unambiguous they are shown here under the formal name.