A GIFT LANDED ON MY DESK
October 2021
En pioner i dansk stoftryk (Marie Gudme Leth: A pioneer in Danish textile printing)
By Kirsten Toftegaard
Strandberg Publishing
ISBN-13: 9788794102070
(Published in Danish)
Just under six months ago, I visited art collector Erik Veistrup to interview him for HÅNDVÆRK bookazine no. 5.
You can read an excerpt of the interview here; if you would like to read the full text, you can buy your copy of the bookazine here.
Prior to my visit, Erik had decorated his home, which already has a rich display of paintings and ceramics, with selected cushions and lengths of textile. The textiles, which he had inherited from his mother, were created around 1946 by the Danish textile printer Marie Gudme Leth.
About a month ago, I saw that there was a book about Marie Gudme Leth in the works.
And last week, a gift landed on my desk with the notice, ‘Maybe this book would interest you?’
The gift was from Strandberg Publishing. The book presents Marie Gudme Leth and her work. The author is Kirsten Toftegaard.
Kirsten Toftegaard (b. 1951) is a curator at Designmuseum Danmark, where she has worked with the museum’s textile and fashion collection since 1997. Kirsten graduated as a graphic and textile designer from the School of Arts and Crafts (now Royal Danish Academy – Design) and holds an MA in history from the University of Copenhagen and Uppsala University in Sweden.
The book is both big, literally, and comprehensive.
It is a hybrid of a personal account, where Kirsten Toftegaard’s personal voice shines through, and a historical documentation of textile craft during the 20th century, with an emphasis on textile printing seen through the lens of Marie Gudme Leth’s work.
The book is full of quotations about the field in general and Marie Gudme Leth’s work in particular, and Kirsten Toftegaard is very thorough in her registration of sources.
As a textile nerd, I lapped it up.
The book is lavishly illustrated with both historical photographs and wonderful spreads with illustrations of patterns from the textile printer’s work.
If you thought interior fashion was a new phenomenon, think again. There is a big difference between what counted as ‘good taste’ in the 1930s and in the 1950s.
You can read it as thoroughly as I did or enjoy its beauty in smaller bites.
Epilogue: the day after I received the book, I ran into Erik Veistrup at the ceramics gallery Peach Corner on Howitzvej 67A, ground floor to the left, 2000 Frederiksberg. If you find yourself in those parts, Peach Corner is absolutely worth a visit; in fact, the gallery is also worth a special journey.
I told Erik about the book, with reference to the textiles he had shown me. The generous man promised me a piece of his textile, and yesterday I found another gift in my mailbox: a small bag sewn of cotton canvas featuring Marie Gudme Leth’s ‘Cherry’ print.
A heartfelt thanks for the gifts!
For knap et halvt år siden besøgte jeg kunstsamler Erik Veistrup for at lave et interview med ham til HÅNDVÆRK bookazine no. 5.
Her kan du læse et uddrag af interviewet, vil du læse det hele, kan bookazinet købes her.
Erik havde forud for mit besøg dekoreret sit hus, som i forvejen er rigt udsmykket med malerier og keramik, med puder og små baner tekstil, tekstiler som han har arvet fra sin mor. Tekstiler trykt omkring 1946 af stoftrykkeren Marie Gudme Leth.
For en månedstid siden bemærkede jeg at der var en bog på vej om Marie Gudme Leth
Sidste uge landede en gave på mit bord med beskeden, måske kan denne bog interessere dig?
Gaven var en bog fra Strandberg Publishing. Bogen er om Marie Gudme Leth. Forfatteren er Kirsten Toftegaard.
Kirsten Toftegaard (f. 1951) er Museumsinspektør på Designmuseum Danmark, hvor hun siden 1997 har arbejdet med museets tekstil-og modesamling. Kirsten er uddannet grafiker og tekstildesigner på Kunsthåndværkerskolen i København (KADK. Det Kongelige Akademi – Arkitektur, Design, Konservering) og cand.mag. i historie fra Københavns- og Uppsala universitet i Sverige.
Bogen er, i bogstavelig forstand, stor, og den er omfattende.
En hybrid mellem en personlig beretning hvor Kirsten Toftegaards, stemme skinner igennem, og en historisk dokumentation af 20. århundredes tekstile kunsthåndværk, med fokus på stoftryk og med afsæt i Marie Gudme Leths virke.
Bogen er spækket med viden om området i almindelighed og Marie Gudme Leths virke i særdeleshed og Kirsten Toftegaard har været omhyggelig i sin registrering af kilder.
Som tekstilnørd har jeg slugt det hele.
Værket er rigt illustreret med både historiske fotografier og vidunderlige sider med mønstre fra hele stoftrykkerens virke.
Hvis du levede i den tro, at interiørmode var et nyt fænomen, så kan du tro om igen, der er stor forskel på hvordan ”den gode smag” så ud i 30erne og i 50erne.
Du kan læse den så grundigt som jeg har gjort, eller nyd dens skønhed i små bidder.
Efterskrift, dagen efter bogen var landet på mig bord løb jeg på Erik Veistrup i keramikgalleriet Peach Corner på Howitzvej 67A, st. tv, 2000 Frederiksberg. Hvis du kommer i nærheden, er Peach Corner absolut et besøg værd, galleriet er også værd at rejse efter
Jeg fortalte Erik om bogen, med reference til de tekstiler han havde vist mig. Den generøse mand lovede mig en bid af sit tekstil og i går lå yderligere en gave i min postkasse, en lille pose syet af bomuldslærred, med Marie Gudme Leths påtrykte motiv ”Kirsebær”.
Af hjertet tak for gaverne!
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