Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Gloria Dale Papers, 1952-1970, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.daleglor
Creators:
Dale, Gloria
Dates:
1952-1970
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.2 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of London textile designer Gloria Dale measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1952 to 1970. The collection provides scattered documentation of Dale's life through correspondence, photocopies of printed material, and photographs.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of London textile designer Gloria Dale measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1952 to 1970. The collection provides scattered documentation of Dale's life through correspondence, photocopies of printed material, and photographs.
The papers comprise photocopies of clippings about Dale; correspondence with Theodoros Stamos, Anni Albers, Irene Rice Pereira, Jimmy Ernst, Sally Avery, Lloyd Goodrich, and others; photocopies of the catalog for the Magic Carpets (1962) exhibition; photographs of Dale and rugs; and a typescript draft by Dale regarding the National Collection of Fine Art. Also found is a file for the exhibition Tapestries and Rugs by Contemporary Painters and Sculptors (1966-1967) at the Museum of Modern Art which includes a catalog introduction draft, loan forms, artwork checklists, and a form documenting the donation of a tapestry by Theodoros Stamos.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
New York native Gloria Dale (1922 -2013) was a textile designer in London, England, known for her artistry in rug designs.
Dale taught herself rug tufting while living in Washington, D.C. in her late 20s, and would sometimes employ modern painters to create designs for her rugs. She became interested in crafts throughout the Americas after traveling to Mexico and Cuba in 1957 and organized a 1962 exhibition, Magic Carpets, featuring rug designs by María Luisa Pacheco, Carlos Mérida, and several other artists from Central and South America.
In 1966, Dale married Sir William Dale, a prominent British lawyer. The couple lived in the Middle East in the 1970s, where Dale began designing bead jewelry inspired by the antique beads she found locally. She continued exploring new materials into her late 80s, taking up felting and creating abstract felts from wool which led to her membership in Britain's Contemporary Applied Arts in 2012. Dale was also a longtime patron of the British Crafts Council.
Dale died in London in 2013.

Administration

Author
Sarah Mundy
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Gloria Dale papers were donated in 2001 by Gloria S. Finn Dale (Lady Gloria Dale) as part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2022.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Preferred Citation
Gloria Dale papers, 1952-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Textile designers -- England Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women designers Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Albers, Anni Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Avery, Sally Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ernst, Jimmy, 1920-1984 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stamos, Theodoros, 1922-1997 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pereira, I. Rice (Irene Rice), 1902-1971 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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