This is a photo of Dorothy Liebes at Letterman Hospital during WW II starting a wounded soldier out with a Structo Loom. Dorothy Liebes is a famous name as a textile designer and weaver. Look her up on Google. I knew her name because my mentor Helen Pope, knew her when she had a studio in San Francisco which later became the Yarn Depot. I remember Helen telling me that she took looms to wounded soldiers and got them started weaving. Come to find out that she was working with Dorothy Liebes who headed the Arts & Skills project that was in hospitals all around the country.
Sears-Roebuck donated 10,000 Structo looms and Liebes bought 10,000 more. She set up the Arts & Skills program in 122 hospitals across the country with the American Red Cross. She insisted on experienced and professional artists in conjunction with museums who volunteered to teach the soldiers. The artists were rigorously chosen as working artists with good personalities as well as knowledge and teaching skills. The program was hugely successful. At one point 25,000 worked in the Arts & Skills programs. There were other crafts other than weaving such as bookbinding, paining, leather work,, and sculpture.
If anyone has any more information about the Arts & Skills program, my new friend is working on a history and would love information. Email: dropschotts@gmail.com
I was interested in the history of the looms since I have 7 and take them to a camp for 6–11-year-olds. I’ve made 5 blog posts about them. Search Structo with the Search button on the home page of my blog for wonderful photos.
Here is an old photo of soldiers sitting in the sun on a roof top in San Francisco. Weaving is a great tranquilizer with the effect of almost being hypnotic and is of great value treating men suffering from battle fatigue and shattered nerves. The men would first begin by playing with the loom like a toy and then became much more interested. They learned the joy of working with their hands!
In 1921 Structo Manufacturing Company of Freeport, Ill, a toy company made 2-shaft metal looms. By 1930 they were 8” wide with 4 shafts. They were called the 240. That was because there were 60 heddles on 4 shafts. They sold for $18.75. Now they can go for as much as $200 depending upon the condition. There is even a Facebook group for Structo Loom people.
From 1972-1981 Dick Blick sold them and made wooden looms as well as the metal ones from up to 16 shafts.
I Googled a little bit and found FIT Fashion Institute of Technology in New York had 28 in one classroom and another 28 in the surface design room. They were widely used in textile programs, especially for the textile industry. Now people own many and use them for teaching as well. My 7 is a paltry number!
Thank you for this wonderful history.
My first weaving experience was on a Structo in an art class in 6th grade…1962. I still have the piece of monks belt that I wove on it. The Yarn depot was where I spent my lunch hours when I worked in San Francisco in 1970-72.
I just finished restoring the wood Strutco loom from your photo. I did replace the heddles with non-metal ones. I am only the second owner and have the history of the original owner from 1952.
She’s a lovely little machine. She even came with all the paperwork and a stack of the old warp and weft newsletters and patterns. (all of which are also available online btw).
She was owned by a woman whose son was in the air force as a medical officer and I suspect he fell in love with them watching patients working with them, and his mother already being a weaver, and owning a floor loom for rugs, it seems a perfect gift.
What a fascinating history. This is so interesting.
My wooden one isn’t like yours. Mine doesn’t have cording at the frames.
I can’t remember which model I have. The Artcraft 600 I think it is.
I wish I’d known about those when I was a teenager obsessed with fiber arts. I’m still obsessed and I’ve been looking for one of them. I’ll have to check out the Facebook Group. Thanks for another fascinating post!
Thank you Peggy, what an interesting historical insight. I love history as much as my looms.
You are such a font of knowledge, thanks for sharing!
I love the Structo Looms too. I use them for sampling – uses a lot less yarn than a floor loom. Thanks for the history – love it!
I am editor of “the weaver’s friend2”. A publication started by Janet Meany for rag rug weavers using historical looms. A few years back we did an issue about looms being used for physical and occupational therapy in veteran hospitals WW I and WW 2. I would be happy to share with your friend. The article was triggered by people writing in because looms they had or found were marked “property of the US government and they wanted to know why
How interesting, I would have never thought that using threads could be a therapy for soldiers—it’s an incredible story. Seeing the photos of the looms together reminded me of 3D printers that print with plastics
Thanks for the interesting history and photos. It’s good to hold on to this history of our craft. Over time things get lost and people forget. We need to know our weaving history.
Thanks for the interesting history and the great photo with the soldier. I have what I believe is a model 240. I have seen pics of some looms with cranks and gears and some without. Mine does not have a crank – just a wing nut that can be tightened or loosened. to remove the spool or allow it to turn freely. In your experience is that correct?
I haven’t seen any like thaat.
Peggy
The Structos made as a “toy” in the 1920’s have the wing nut brake. They were black with blue paint. When Structo realized people were seriously weaving with them, they modified and improved them with a ratcheting brake system and started selling spools of yarn to be threaded on the back hexagonal beam. Those were generally painted gray or green.
Thanks for the new “old informatiion”.
Peggy
I have a serious Structo addiction…..
Two of mine are the black and blue from the 20’s, one has a wing nut brake system (it’s the very earliest two harness 4′ model 60 (60 heddles). The other 4″ black and blue 4 harness one seems to be one built as they were transitioning from toy loom to more sturdy serious looms. It has a ratcheting brake system, it appears to be factory installed, but Structo did sell the “new” hexagonal metal back beam and improved braking system as an accessory in the late 20’s for 50 cents!
I just bought a metal Structo that I think is a 240
I also got the attachment to make it an 8 harness loom. It’s nearly new. Can I take off the original 4 harness (which has warped heddle bars) and only use the 8 harness part? I bought the loom to use to help start a study group for Palo Duro Handweavers meeting in Amarillo Texas 79106. I could really use some help. I tried to contact the Structo Facebook group but I was rejected by Facebook when I tried to join because I must have made a mistake when I tried to fill out the information. Thanks Judy Mayo 806 410 4628. Please leave a message and I will call you back. If you can’t help me can you send my request to someone who can help me get the loom up and running. Thanks.
I’m sorry to take so long to reply. I’m working on my comics yarns. I think you could remove the 4shft part just fine.
Peggy
This is a great resource, thank you! I’m hoping to buy a structo myself, if you have any leads on one in the Bay Area do let me know.
I am a Colonial Re-enactor. One of my roles is the Village weaver (while my wife spins). I have an old Harrisville Designs 22 inch collapsable floor loom that I use to demonstrate weaving at living history events, but I also have a rehabbed Structo 240 and another very small wooden 2 harness loom for the children to try. Yesterday I was at an event at one of Washington’s campsites and I tell you the lttle ones went nuts over the looms. When they finished I gave them each a certificate “certifying” that they had completed their initial training as a weaver’s apprentice. MAKE HISTORY FUN! It’s not all names and dates. Remember the old Peabody and Sherman cartoons? MAKE IT FUN!