A New Craft Society -- HOW IT STARTED

Beginner students of leathercraft, although often well served in large centres by instruction through organized clubs and classes, are often less fortunate in smaller centres where proper instruction is lacking Many students are self-taught from standard textbooks"

"There is a growing need for an association of specialists to help the many who want to explore their craft beyond its elementary stages"

"What's wrong with contemporary leathercraft in Canada -- that it merits such little recognition at important art-craft exhibitions?"

"Leathercraft will become recognized as a serious and worth while craft in Canada when Canadians stop copying and start creating"

The above observations, question and answer were among the many which confronted a group of experienced Canadian leathercraftsmen when they met in Toronto to discuss common problems in the spring of 1950 To solve one problem -- that of analysing the status of contemporary Canadian leathercraft -- opinions were sought from authorities of art galleries and other well organized art-craft societies These opinions were matched with views of experienced craftsmen in the leathercraft field

As a result of a keenly aroused interest among so many skilled leathercraftsmen, plans were laid to form a non-profit, educational organization under the name of "The Canadian Society of Creative Leathercraft" During the fall, winter and spring of the 1950-51 season, the new Society's constitution was drafted and approved Charter members also prepared plans for a program of service to all leathercraft students who may become interested in the work of the Society

Thus was born the idea; thus was formed the Society; and thus has the Society become engaged in developing its service to Canadian leathercraftsmen

The newsletter was typed, and its full stops did not print — sentences end in a gap rather than a period, set out below exactly as typed, including the stray closing quotation mark that ends the opening paragraph. The Society names itself here the “Canadian Society of Creative Leathercraft”; in later records it is “Canadian Society for Creative Leathercraft”. The whole issue, twelve pages, survives in this archive; the picture above is its first page as printed.