Fabric Painting And Printing (1955)

Hampstead, London. L/S of a classroom where several women are working at desks painting fabric. A male teacher looks at their work. Narrator begins by saying: "Although it is often stated that a woman's place is in the home, the influence she exerts on its appearance is often overlooked." C/U of a fabric painting of Cheese Plant leaves. Pan up to show the face of the woman who is concentrating on her work. This is Hampstead Garden Suburbs Institute. Various shots of women painting fabric or working on designs. One woman draws an ornate design on a piece of paper which traces onto a piece of "lino". She is making a lino cut. C/U of the lino cutting tools. Various shots of another woman cutting out the design of two pots into a piece of lino. L/S of a woman using a roller to load a piece of lino with paint. A washable ink is applied then the lino is applied to a piece of fabric. Mrs Catherine Holton is featured working on a design for a boy's bedspread that features: "an old hero - not so up-to-date as a spaceman but better for bedtime." The lino is peeled away to reveal a cowboy design. C/U of another craftswoman - Mrs Mary Irons - who inks a piece of lino. The lino is applied to a piece of fabric and hit with a mallet. She is making "an attractive table mat" - she shows it to the camera. The narrator observes that neither the scarf nor the table mat look "home made". C/U of various pieces of printed fabric displayed by Mrs Diana Bloomfield - she has an art training and sells some of her designs to West End stores. C/Us of some of the designs including cushions and a tea cosy. Narrator ends by saying: "Doing something yourself always gives much more satisfaction and if you can't draw you can always be a modernist!" Note: nice 1950s designs for home decor. Paperwork informs us that "All the students seen here are housewives with children." FILM ID:27.17 FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT http://www.britishpathe.com/