Skip to content
Menu
  • Recent Posts
  • Index of Designers
  • About
  • Learning about
  • Blogs/Sites/Instagram accounts I follow

Author: annewhidden

I am an architectural designer, and an independent design historian with a long-standing interest in textiles. An interest in materials, how things are made, and the processes of making led me originally to architecture. Architectural training taught me both how to design and how to think about design as part of a larger social context. Further training in architectural history and historic preservation led to work that involved studying buildings, decoration, furniture and objects from different historical periods. I have studied and practiced architecture in New York and Brussels and taught architectural design in Hong Kong. My textile interests over the years had a lot to do with where I was working and/or traveling: from ’60s Marimekko (Chicago); to textiles by Voysey, Josef Frank and Alvar Aalto (Brussels); to Japanese happi coats and obi, and Chinese robes (Hong Kong/Tokyo); to Bauhaus, Anni Albers and the Cranbrook weavers (New York); to ikat (Singapore); to African Kanga and Dutch import fabrics (Tanzania). I became fascinated with the ways the historical international trade in textiles set up design conversations between continents and countries. Once I discovered Swedish mid-century rugs about ten years ago, I needed to know more. They were graphic, colorful, well-designed: textile counterparts to the more famous mid-century chairs, light fixtures and silver jewelry I already knew. I am fortunate to live in New York City, where there are great design libraries, a number of dealers who handle Swedish rugs, and a number of professional “rug people” who offered encouragement as I started my research on Swedish rugs. I was prepared to start learning Swedish so I could do research, since it looked like most of the literature on these textiles had not been translated into English. Because Sweden is in the process of digitizing much of its craft history and museum collections, it also means that there are now many fascinating pieces of the puzzle to be found on-line. This blog will be about what I have discovered and what I’m continuing to learn. It is primarily about several kinds of mid-century weavings and their designers. But it’s also about the whole culture of weaving and home design in twentieth-century Sweden. I hope you enjoy sharing my meanders in Swedish textile and design history. I studied and practiced architecture in New York and Brussels and taught architectural design in Hong Kong. My textile interests over the years had a lot to do with where I was working and/or traveling: from '60s Marimekko (Chicago); to the Wiener Werkstätte and Bauhaus to Aalto’s textiles (Brussels/Finland); Japanese happi coats and obi, and Chinese robes (Hong Kong/Tokyo); Josef Frank to Anni Albers (New York); Fortuny (Venice); African Kanga and Dutch import fabrics (Tanzania). I became fascinated with the ways the historical international trade in textiles set up design conversations between continents and countries. I had seen Swedish flat weave rugs before, not quite knowing what they were, but the first rug in my blog is the one that made me sit up and pay attention. I knew that the graphic quality of it looked sort of “mid-century.” But what were the initials in two of the corners, one of which was ID in the lower right. What did that mean? I was retiring from architecture, and decided this would be a good time to find out. It has been a journey of several years of intense research, —an almost full-time job! Luckily I live in New York City where there are great design libraries and dealers who handle these rugs. And I was prepared to start learning Swedish so I could research these rugs, since it looked like most of the literature on them was in Swedish. Sweden seem to be in the process of digitalizing its entire history, so there are many more fascinating pieces of the puzzle to be found on-line. This blog will be about what I have found out and what I’m continuing to learn. It is mostly about these rugs and their weavers, but also about the whole culture of weaving and design in Sweden, a bit about Swedish culture, and here and there a little just about textiles that catch my eye.
  • by annewhidden
  • Posted on December 24, 2021December 24, 2021

God Jul!

Read More
  • by annewhidden
  • Posted on May 8, 2021

Marianne Richter’s Fläkt rug – a celebration of flossa weaving

Read More
  • by annewhidden
  • Posted on January 23, 2021

Un-named: a Sigvard Bernadotte rug

Read More
  • by annewhidden
  • Posted on December 23, 2020December 23, 2020

Merry Christmas! God Jul!

Read More
  • by annewhidden
  • Posted on December 10, 2020

Rugs for Everyone: Ingegerd Silow Part 2

Read More
  • by annewhidden
  • Posted on November 29, 2020

Rugs for Everyone: Ingegerd Silow, Part I

Read More
  • by annewhidden
  • Posted on September 24, 2020December 10, 2020

Furnishing a New York Apartment Part 3: Edna Martin

Read More
  • by annewhidden
  • Posted on September 12, 2020September 23, 2020

Furnishing a New York Apartment: Dag Hammarskjold and Edna Martin, Part 2

Read More
  • by annewhidden
  • Posted on September 9, 2020September 16, 2020

Furnishing a New York Apartment: Dag Hammarskjold and Edna Martin, Part 1

Read More
  • by annewhidden
  • Posted on July 20, 2020July 20, 2020

Big rugs and a big vision: Birgitta Hagnell-Lindén

Read More

Posts navigation

Page 1 Page 2 … Page 14 Next Page

Anne Whidden

Categories

  • architecture
  • Archival images
  • Church textiles
  • Fairs, Exhibits, Displays of Rugs
  • Hemslöjd-related
  • Initials and dates
  • Rooms with rugs 1935-65
  • Supporting Characters
  • Sweden's Weaving Traditions
  • Swedish embroidery, 20th-century
  • Swedish Miscellany
  • Textile Miscellany
  • Textiles in Public Buildings
  • the swedish rug blog
  • Unsolved questions

Archives

  • December 2021
  • May 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 179 other followers

Drop me a line at:

a.whidden.swedish@gmail.com

Follow Me on Instagram

Instagram
Follow on WordPress.com
Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Follow Following
    • theswedishrugblog.wordpress.com
    • Join 179 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • theswedishrugblog.wordpress.com
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...