A Review of David Cathers’ Book on Helen Albee and Marion Volk
by Dianne Ayres
A Review of David Cathers new book, Helen Albee and Marion Volk, Arts and Crafts Hooked Rugs of New Hampshire and Maine
To assume this book is just about hooked rugs would be a mistake, however, if you are also interested in the social history of the turn-of-the-century this book is required reading.
The ever-humble David Cathers claims he doesn’t know anything about hook rugs – well, neither did either of the subjects of the book before they commenced their endeavors nor did I before reading David’s book. While I don’t expect David (or myself or you) to take up the craft, the book gives two case studies of the complexities of operating artisan organizations during the Arts & Crafts era. Simple as they may appear, the creation and marketing of even the humble hooked rug requires consideration of many aspects – from design, sourcing materials, production and promotion each touching on diverse communities and social strata.
David’s detailed research leads us from the art salons of New York City to the rural communities of New England and back. We learn of the tenacity required for Helen Albee and Marion Volk to operate artisan endeavors and how their individual strengths and quirks manifested into now-rare but admirable objects.
Central to David’s storyline is the core quandary of the Arts & Crafts Movement – just how ‘artisanal’ can a venture be and remain self-sustaining? Even the most purist of the subjects does not carry out every aspect of the work herself – instead hiring local workers for production – such is the inherent dilemma of a labor-intensive craft.
As with any decorative item there is the fundamental question, “what does the design represent?” Both Albee and Volk aimed their work at an Arts & Crafts style market yet you may come away from this book rethinking just what Arts & Crafts design looks like. Certainly this beautifully produced small book will give you a view into the period worthy of consideration. Enjoy!
Though largely unknown today, Helen Albee and Marion Volk were well known in the Arts and Crafts community around the turn of the last century. Articles about their rugs appeared in House Beautiful, Country Life in America, and Gustav Stickley’s The Craftsman magazine. One of Marion Volk’s rugs won a silver medal at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. Author David Cathers is well-known to Arts and Crafts scholars and collectors. He is the author of the seminal Furniture of the American Arts & Crafts Movement – still in print after 45 years.
Here is a link to purchase the book directly from Parchment Press: Purchase the Helen Albee and Marion Volk book here.
Dianne Ayres specializes in textiles from the turn-of-the-century of the Arts & Crafts Movement in America. She, along with her husband Timothy, Beth Ann McPherson and Tommy McPherson, co-authored American Arts & Crafts Textiles and her research and textile work has been featured in such publications as American Bungalow Magazine, Architectural Digest, Old House Interiors, In the Arts & Crafts Style, The Beautiful Necessity, Inside the Bungalow, Arts & Crafts Style and Spirit: Craftspeople of the Revival, and Stickley Style.