Edith Roscoe
← People of the Society · on record 1951–1975
The Society’s records
Everything the Society’s own records say of Edith Roscoe: the offices held, the standings conferred, and the awards won. Where the records are silent, so is this part of the page.
In memoriam · reported January 1979
A charter member of the Society. The January 1979 newsletter announced her death under the heading In Memorium: “It is with regret that we announce the death of Mrs. Edith Roscoe who was formerly with the Weston Leathercraft Guild. She subsequently moved to Xenia, Ohio where she passed away …” No date is given. She had written to the Society on 2 July 1952 enclosing the minutes of the founding meeting of the Toronto Branch, and the Spring 1970 newsletter records that it was she who gave the Weston Trophy to the London Branch in 1957.
From January 1979, page 8.
Branch
Toronto · recorded in the papers in 1952
Certification
- Fellow of the CSCL 1953
- Honorary Fellow of the CSCL 1975
Distinct from her Associate standing of 1953 (listed separately above): printed as a separate honour, “Honorary Life Fellowship”, given at the Society’s 25th anniversary. She was not present; it was accepted on her behalf.
Dr Larmour's slides record her work more often than anyone else's after his own: bellows, a jewel box, a blue purse, a briefcase in an ivy design, pine-cone slippers of 1952, a butterfly box, an uncarved cigarette box and a photograph frame in July 1953, a plain cigarette case, a hat box in 1954, a pine-cone glove box, a blue morocco bag and a black bag and hat in 1955, a “Spider Box” and, twice over, her Weston class display of 1955.
From 40th Annual Meeting 1990: programme, Elmhurst Inn, Ingersoll, page 6; and The Larmour Library slide index and Librarian’s Report, 1989.
Held the Society's professional stamp No. III, issued in 1956, later returned.
From Register of professional stamps, May 2012.
Served the Society as
- Chairman Membership Committee 1950–1951
- Secretary 1952–1954
- 2nd Assembly Demonstrator 1955
- Executive Council 1955
Honours
- Honorary Life Fellowship 1975
Presented at the 25th Annual Meeting, with Clarice Packham. The letter handed to her at the presentation, reprinted in the Fall 1975 newsletter (p8), reads in part: “I am happy that you are accepting this Honorary Life Fellowship for Edith Roscoe to-day... Her teaching and work in the Weston Section will long be remembered. Edith was also the founder of the Weston Trophy.”
Awards
- 1st Canadian International Hobby Show Popular Vote 1953
- Canadian Handicrafts Guild Competition Honourable Mention 1955
- Canadian National Exhibition, Canadian Handicrafts Guild Section 1954
- International Assembly Salon Exhibit Honor Award 1957
- M'Lady Fair Popular Vote 1952
- Second CNE Hobby and Homecraft Show Public Preference Poll, Large Articles, 5th place 1954
- Second CNE Hobby and Homecraft Show Public Preference Poll, Small Articles, 1st place 1954
Demonstrations given
- Demonstrating throughout the Exhibition 1957
CSCL Exhibition, 1957From Autumn 1957, page 5.
- A chalk talk on box covering and colouring 1959
9th AnnualFrom Spring 1959, page 4.
Where this comes from
- September 1951
- Summer 1952
- Winter 1952–53
- Spring 1953
- Summer 1953
- Winter 1953–54
- Spring 1954
- Autumn 1954
- Winter 1954–55
- Autumn 1955
- Summer 1957
- Summer 1975
- Autumn 1975
- January 1979
- Register of professional stamps, May 2012
- 40th Annual Meeting 1990: programme, Elmhurst Inn, Ingersoll
- The Larmour Library slide index and Librarian’s Report, 1989
Life and work
From the In Memoriam record the archive holds for her. Other lines come from the sources named under each.
- Work
- Her carved and saddle-stamped calfskin jewel box, designed for the setting of a Canadian gem (amazonite), with appliqued carving on the corners and solid leather feet, was singled out as the ‘piece de resistance’ of the Society's touring exhibition when it was shown in Barrie in March 1952; the paper says it had won a second prize.
From Barrie Examiner, 10 March 1952, p. 1, 'Canadian Leather Masterpieces Displayed to County Craftsmen', https://news.ourontario.ca/2921796/data.
- Community
- With Clarice Packham and Isabel Hanna she was a founder of the Weston Leathercraft Guild, and she was its first president.
From January 1979, page 8.
- In the press
- The Toronto Star reported her election as Secretary, and her Fellowship, at the 1953 Annual Meeting.
From “Leathercraft Body Holds Annual Meet”, the Toronto Star, 19 June 1953, p. 30.
