Library Collections: Document: Full Text

CHARLES F. F. CAMPBELL
Superintendent Industrial Department Massachusetts Commission for the Blind

Rag carpet weaving has been carried on by the blind for many years. Hand weaving, such as is being done in the various Arts and Crafts centers, as an industry for the blind was first undertaken by the Massachusetts Association for the Blind in 1904. As agent of the Association I was endeavoring, among other things, to find some new collective industries for the blind. With the opening of the twentieth century a decided awakening in favor of hand-wrought articles has made itself manifest, as is evidenced by the formation of Arts and Crafts societies throughout the country. Hand-woven fabrics are encouraged by these societies, and after observing a sighted weaver embroidering on a hand loom I was confident that it warranted a trial by the blind; and when I learned that hand weaving was done by the blind in Sweden, the experiment seemed more desirable than ever.

The Association started its first blind girl weaving are fabrics in July, 1904, and our first man weaving rugs of artistic color and design in October of the same year. We soon found that so far as the mechanical part of the work is concerned there is no question about the ability of the blind to weave. The real problem is not one of blindness, but rather to find whether there is a market sufficiently large for such work and whether it can be carried on at a reasonable cost. Appropriate designs are indispensable to the success of the work, and to secure these expert seeing supervision is required. It is interesting to note that several of the blind women have developed some very satisfactory patterns. Of course the colors are chosen for them and some help is given in making the best arrangement of the units, but the motives are entirely the creation of the blind weaver. The extent to which complicated designs can be worked out by the blind women after the pattern has been memorized is shown by the illustration of the "canoe" curtain which one of our seeing designers arranged for the Massachusetts Building at the Jamestown Exposition.

The Massachusetts Commission is now carrying on the weaving started by the Association in its experiment station. The shops were only organized as shop units in the summer of 1907, and have not been maintained long enough to warrant any statement as to possible returns and operating expenses. Until the Commission has a maximum of blind operatives to a minimum of seeing supervision and the market has been thoroughly tested, no figures would be of value. That the blind can weave articles salable for their intrinsic merit is certain. In how far it can be made self-supporting is yet to be determined.

MISS MARION CAMPBELL
Industrial Agent of the Cleveland Society for Promoting the Interests of the Blind

WHEN I tell you that the work in hand weaving for the adult blind with which I have been connected is but little over a year old, you will not expect me to go deeply into a general discussion of its merits, but rather to tell you how it has been found a very pleasant, adaptable, and profitable occupation for the blind in our workshop in Cleveland, Ohio.

The work with the adult blind began in Cleveland with a reading room, conducted one afternoon each week by the public library; to this reading circle was added an evening of social games and music. For this the library asked the cooperation of Goodrich Social Settlement, where a room was furnished, and a group of blind men and women gathered one evening each week.

The discussions during these evenings frequently turned to the industrial opportunities for the blind, and the residents of the settlement began to feel the need for special industrial training for those of the adult blind who have become so after the period of school age, and for this, and other reasons, have had no trade training since blindness.

Just at this time a visit to the Experiment Station of the Massachusetts Association for the Blind at Cambridge, and the artistic weaving in the shop conducted there, suggested a similar experiment for the summer in Cleveland.

Goodrich House possessed two well-equipped looms; these, and the exclusive use of a large, airy room and my services as director, were readily offered by the trustees of the settlement.

Mr. Campbell, at our solicitation, agreed to come on to Cleveland, help as to organize the school, and to recommend a teacher.

The first pupil who applied had been a blacksmith previous to his blindness; on account of a nervous trouble his education as a child had been very limited, and during his several years of blindness he had had no occupation; having had, therefore, no training or education which might in any way be applicable in hand weaving, his progress may be considered a fair test of the adaptability of the work. After eight weeks of faithful work on a large carpet loom, learning the construction and mechanism of the loom, and to know when any part is not working in order, weaving plain and design rugs, this man was placed in a large carpet factory to operate a hand loom, making rugs from strips of old carpet; frequent reports from the foreman of the factory are substantial proof that such work for the blind is practicable.