Hello all,

I'm looking to put together a list or resources on the history of barn looms.  I've come across many blogs where people say, "this is how it was done," etc. etc.but sources are not cited.

I am working on an exhibit for a museum on barn looms (or barn frame looms as some insist they be called), and suspect that there are more resources out there than I am aware of.  Thanks for your help! 

 

Comments

kerstinfroberg

Gertrud Grenander-Nyberg: Lanthemmens vävstolar (ISBN 91-7108-076-7) is a doctoral thesis about peasants' looms in Sweden from (IIRC) C16 ->

Being an academic text, it has a summary in English.

From what I have seen/read, many of the "barn looms" are very similar to some of the old Swe loom types.

Sara von Tresckow

If you read German, you should look for references to "Bauernwebstuehle" or peasant/farmhouse loom. I don't have any titles at the tip of my tongue, but most historical books on German weaving history discuss them as do museums publications.

In fact, I have often mused that the "barn loom" name might possibly stem from a pronounciation error - when some German farmer went to a carpenter in Pennsylvania or New York and wanted him to make him one of them "Bauern" looms. I have books from other European countries that refer to these peasant looms as "Bauernwebstuhl" rather than something in their own language.

This was the generic term used for looms that weren't being used in professional weaving workshops.

Joanne Hall

for an interesting comment on the name barn loom, as perhaps bauern loom. 

Joanne

Joanne Hall

Thanks Kerstin,

This is truly an excellent book.  I have read through most of it and I learned a lot.  There were Swedish settlements in New England and the East coast in the early centuries when this country was new.  So, this book is very relavant.  I found it through a used book site in Sweden.

Joanne

mrdubyah (not verified)

Many of the looms in New England that are referred to today as "Barn Looms" were built in the early 1800's for use in the "putting out" system of weaving.  You can read a fascinating and well documented article on this by Gail Fowler Mohanty at this link:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=rhode%20island%20weavers%20putting%20out&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fjournals.ku.edu%2Findex.php%2Famerstud%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F2471%2F2430&ei=3FP9UaPANYn3iwK8rID4DA&usg=AFQjCNGdI3JyzFDEMRz-kv9wZufRgK-Y5w&bvm=bv.50165853,d.cGE&cad=rja