Berta Frey
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Berta Frey | |
|---|---|
 Photograph in Shuttle-Craft Bulletin, 1959 | |
| Born | November 8, 1893 Texas, US |
| Died | February 1, 1972 (aged 78) |
| Occupation(s) | Weaver, teacher, speaker and author |
| Known for | Handweavers Guild of America |
Berta Frey (November 8, 1893 – February 1, 1972) was a well-known New York weaver, who spoke and taught about weaving techniques for many years. She was one of the founders of the Handweavers Guild of America.
Berta Frey was born on November 8, 1893 in Texas.[1][2] During World War I (1914–1918) she was an occupational therapist specializing in woodworking in the army's Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C.[2] She learned handweaving at this time. When she found that no handlooms were being made in the United States, she used her woodworking skills to make looms for her patients and then for herself. Frey began by following Colonial weaving designs, but soon started to experiment with other patterns.[3]
Inter-war period
After the war, Frey moved to New York City with her parent and worked in the textile industry. She eventually opened a design studio in the city and began to teach weaving there.[2] In 1934, Frey, already known as an author of technical works on handweaving, attended a summer session of the Penland Weaving Institute in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She was one of the initiators of construction of a new building for the school, which was outgrowing its facilities.[4] Subscriptions were raised to build the Edward F. Worst Craft House, which had both classrooms and sleeping facilities. Many of the students at the Institute came from the local community.[4]
An informal study group began to meet monthly at Frey's New York studio. On November 11, 1940 the New York Guild of Handweavers was established there at an organizational tea, and was headed by Frey. Most of the initial members worked in areas related to textiles as teachers, designers or occupational therapists. In 1941 Frey resigned from her position with the guild and returned to providing occupational therapy for the army.[2]
