SKANSEN Selma Giöbel

SKANSEN, 1891, NATIONALMUSEUM; (Selma Giöbel)

Selma Giöbel som en frontperson i Handarbetets Vänner, medgrundare av Nya IDUN, hennes grundande av Svensk Konstslöjdutställning.

Kvinnoklubben visade tidigt att hon inte var rädd för att ta initiativ och var rik på idéer. Hon umgicks länge med tanken på hur allt det gamla konsthantverket från svenska bondgårdar bäst skulle kunna bevaras för eftervärlden.

Idéen att skapa ett friluftsmuseum, där gamla gårdar skulle få en säker fristad med möbler och bohag av alla slag, för att visa hur folket i århundraden med egna händer skapat sig originella och gedigna hem var hennes - även om andra samtidigt tänkt utefter samma linje. Selma kände Arthur Hazelius mycket väl och inspirerade och stödde honom på alla sätt.

Arthur var ej sen att använda sig av och ösa ur det källsprång av idéer som vällde fram ur hennes sinne. De arbetade länge tillsammans och med en stor entusiasm för projekten Skansen och Nordiska museet, men plötsligt när det led mot fullbordandet, började Arthur att trakassera Selma och även sätta sina vänner och arbetskamrater upp mot henne. När så verket stod färdigt tog han all äran av det och Selmas namn blev aldrigt nämnt. Selma Giöbels gärningar fortsatte efter detta att falla i glömska och ännu fram till idag 2015.

(ur Minnen av Selma Giöbel, Vadstena från året 19O7).

Leading Industries in Stockholm S. Giöbel, HV Handarbetets Vänner.

GUIDES OF THE SWEDISH TOURISTS' CLUB No. 14 STOCKHOLM 1896.

Svenska Konst-Slöjd Utställningen (Exhibition of Swedish Art Industry).—This exhibition has its salesrooms near Grand Hotel, just opposite the statue of Charles XII. in the park Kungsträdgården. Here we find all kinds of art-slöjd well represented, especially the peasant art-slöjd, which cannot fail to be of great interest to the tourist. Here there are unique textile fabrics from the south of Sweden, and artistic wood-slöjd, rich embroideries, and lace, from the central and northern provinces. Besides the exhibition and sales-rooms in Kungsträdgårdsgatan, the proprietors have an office and exhibition at 26, Norrlandsgatan, and several large studios and work-shops where drawings, art-fabrics, carved work, furniture, embroidery, and national costumes are made. At the office, materials and patterns for embroidery are also sold. All patterns, drawings, and models are made under strict supervision in the studios belonging to the exhibition.

In making pattern-drawings, the old patterns are not simply copied, but are improved and developed. In dying yarn for embroidery and textile fabrics, great pains have been taken to use only old, genuine vegetable dies, which gi\'e a specially bright, glossy color to the fabrics. One of the specialties of this concern is drawing on wood with a red hot platinum point, or glow-drawing, as it is called. Great skill has been acquired in such drawing in Sweden and not only rich ornaments but even portraits are thus drawn and so finely executed that one can scarcely believe that the delicate lines and shadings are burnt into the wood with red hot metal. At a little distance they may almost be mistaken for fine pencil or crayon drawings, but the singeing of the wood gives a much richer tint to these pictures and leaves a much smoother, glossier surface. Inlaid work is also very ingeniously imitated by burning the outlines of the design and then staining it to represent the colors of different kinds of wood. Pictures are also painted on wood, the outlines being burnt, thus giving a very unique effect. Partly burned and partly painted designs are executed on sheep-skin work-bags and leather pillows, and these articles are greatly admired by English ladies travelling in Sweden. Rich ornamental designs are also burned on loose sheep-skin book-covers intended to protect the bindings of books which the tourist wishes to carry about with him.

Geometric carving, which is a very ancient peasant slojd in Sweden, has lately been revived and developed, and now there are an endless variety of patterns for this kind of carving. In the exposition will be found cupboards, chests, and a great assortment of small objects, such as paper knives, rulers, photograph frames, newspaper holders, watch-holders, stamp-boxes, snuff-boxes, antique drinking tankards and lunch boxes, etc., decorated with these unique carvings. This geometric carving has now reached such a stage of development that its richly varying forms much resemble oriental carvings. At both Swedish and international exhibitions, the fabrics, carved work, and other products of this firm have been awarded gold and silver medals; these articles are now to be found in the homes of nearly every civilized country, and orders are constantly coming in from all parts of the world.

The artistic work of the firm is superintended by Miss S. Giöbel, who, besides having received an excellent art-education in Sweden, has spent many years abroad for the purpose of studying art.

Excellent articles of this kind may also be bought at Jakob Kulle's shop, 36, Drottninggatan, and in at several other similar shops.

Handarbetets Vänner HV (Friends of Art Weaving and Needle-work).

This is a patriotic association for the preservation and artistic improvement of home-slojd. It was originated by eminent ladies at Stockholm in 1874. Among the most prominent of these ladies were an authoress and a painter, both very renowned in their respective branches. The chief object in organizing the association was to reform Swedish needle-work and weaving. A very unique peasant slojd has for many years been practiced in Sweden, but about the time of the organisation of this association, it was beginning to become extinct; and it has been due to the praiseworthy efforts of the "Friends of Art Weaving and Needle-Work" that this precious inheritance was preserved for the benefit of coming generations. At this period, only old peasant women were skilled in this kind of slojd which consists of all sorts of interesting fabrics, from haut-lisse work made in upright looms and known since time immemorial, to all kinds of art-fabrics woven of home-spun and home-dyed yarn. Both in pattern and colors, this peasant-work frequently resembles oriental fabrics. In ancient times, it was also customary to make drawn lace work and worsted shaded work with rich flower-ornaments freely executed without drawing any pattern on the cloth. Pillow laces were also included in this peasant-slojd. It is on this national folk-art that the association has based its work. To begin with, copies were made from the old, interesting models, after which they were improved, and from the old designs, patterns suitable to our times were made sufficiently like the old models to confirm their origin.

The interest for this work grew every year and by degrees this unassuming beginning developed into a rather important art-institution, especially, although not entirely, embracing the textile art on a national basis. The association has even made important progress in the manufacture of ecclesiastic fabrics. Through the exertions of the Friends of Art Weaving and Needle-work, these peasant-slojds have been revived, and a staff of skilled working-women has been organised in Stockholm and employed by the association. A weaving-school and two embroidery-schools annually attended by over 200 pupils are one of the chief proofs of the patriotic exertions of the association, which has fine and centrally located rooms in 18, Brunkeberg's Square, where there is a permanent exposition and sale of these national works of slojd-art. The exposition and sales-rooms are open every day except Sundays and Holy-days. Thus a unique national slojd has been revived and systematized, whose products are to be found not only in nearly every Swedish home, but also in many homes in other countries.

Basaren Börshuset 1885