Timeline
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1912
The Edinburgh Tapestry Company was established by the Marquess of Bute, bringing Master Weavers Gordon Berry and John Glassbrook from the workshops of William Morris
1914-1917
Berry and Glassbrook lost their lives in WW1 and weaving was suspended; their initials woven by their apprentices into the tapestry they never finished
1920s
The first weavers at Dovecot began to establish themselves as artisans
1938
Prince of the Gael also known as Glenfinnan or The Raising of the Standard was unfinished by William Skeoch Cumming and Paul Woodroffe and is now part of the Bute Collection at Mount Stuart
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1946
Dovecot incorporated as Edinburgh Tapestry Company
1949-58
Modernity and tradition prevailed with artists including Edwards Wadsworth, Stanley Spencer, Edward Bawden, Graham Sutherland, Cecil Beaton and Louis le Brocquy designing tapestries with Dovecot
1948
Archie Brennan joins the Apprentices at Dovecot
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1951
Sax Shaw’s Lion and Oak Tree tapestry is showcased at the Festival of Britain
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1952
Graham Sutherland’s tapestry Wading Birds features at the 26th Venice Biennale
1954
John Noble and Harry Jefferson Barnes acquire Edinburgh Tapestry Company and Sax Shaw is appointed Artistic Director
1963
Dick Gordon retires after weaving with Dovecot for 50 years: his Apprentice piece 1913-14 is held in the collection at National Museum of Scotland
1960s
First female tapestry weaver Maureen Hodge is appointed and works with Harold Cohen in 1966 on the BP Tapestry : seen here (LtoR) Fred Mann, Harry Wright, Doreen Tarbert, Harold Cohen, Maureen Hodge and Archie Brennan
1961
Douglas Grierson joins Dovecot
1963
Archie Brennan becomes Director
1964
Harry Wright weaving from the back of the loom as Maureen Hodge and Douglas Grierson begin weaving facing the image for the first time
1965-1980
Artists who worked during this time with Dovecot included Adolf Gottlieb, John Houston, Eduardo Paolozzi, David Hockney, Graham Sutherland, Bernat Klein and Tom Phillips
1968
Notable commissions this year including for Kings College Chapel Cambridge and Kenneth McAvoy’s Montreal Metro tapestry
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1978-82
The first female Directors are appointed: Fiona Mathison in 1978 and then Joanne Soroka in 1982
1980-2011
Scottish artist connections including with Elizabeth Blackadder, Sir Robin Philipson, John Bellany and Bruce McLean
1983
Joanne Soroka leads the Water of Life tapestry commission for Glenfiddich Distillery
1985
David Cochrane joins Dovecot as an Apprentice Weaver
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1986
Suite of tapestries designed by Frank Stella after his Had Gadya series for PepsiCo corporation headquarters in New York
1987
Dovecot’s new Director James More designs major tapestry commission for the Dunedin Fund
1990
Naomi Robertson joins Dovecot as a Weaver
1990s
Prestigious commissions completed including Kate Whiteford’s Corryvrechan tapestry for National Museum of Scotland and Barbara Rae’s Carnival Edinburgh for The Festival Theatre
1996/7
R B Kitaj tapestry If Not, Not is created for The British Library
2000
Alastair and Elizabeth Salvesen pledge to support Dovecot and appoint David Weir as Director
2002
Alan Davie tapestry commissioned for The Chancellor Building of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
2005
Pause on the Landing tapestry created with Patrick Caulfield for The British Library
2005-2008
Salvesens fund project to restore Infirmary Street Baths and engage Malcolm Fraser Architects to create new space for Dovecot
2008
Jonathan Cleaver is appointed Weaver at Dovecot
2008
Jerwood Contemporary Makers and Henry Moore Textiles are opening exhibitions at Dovecot
2011
Freya Sewell and Emily Fogarty join as first apprentices of new programme
2011
Necklace for an Elephant creator David Poston collaborates with weaver Jonathan Cleaver
2011
Siobhan Davies presents Rotor at Dovecot broadening scope of programme
2011
Master Weaver Douglas Grierson retires after 50 years weaving with Dovecot
2012
Centenary celebrations include Weaving the Century exhibition, The Art of Modern Tapestry book publication and A Tapestry of Many Threads opera
2013
Naomi Robertson appointed Studio Manager and works with Alison Watt on Butterfly project
2013
Julie Brook collaborates with Dovecot on rug project
2013
Fleece to Fibre: The Making of the Large Tree Group Tapestry exhibition goes on tour
2013
Dennis Reinmueller appointed Rug Tufter and works with Adrian Wiszniewszki, Ron Arad, Than Clark, Linder and Garry Fabian Miller
2014
Weaving begins on largest commissions to date with artists Chris Ofili and Victoria Crowe
2014-2017
Ben Hymers joins Dovecot as first of new apprentices appointed 2014-2017
2015
Diagrams of Love: Marriage of Eyes rug created with Linder for British Art Show 8 and Children of the Mantic Stain ballet choreographed by Kenneth Tindall
February 2015
Trainee Rug Tufter Kristi Vana completes first rug
May 2015
Series of ‘hearth rugs’ created with Garry Fabian Miller and exhibited in Dwelling
November 2015
Jonathan Cleaver declared Master Weaver at Dovecot, which coincided with the completion of his Art History: Dress & Textile Histories [MLitt] at the University of Glasgow
February/March 2016
Linder’s Diagrams of Love: Marriage of Eyes rug tours to Edinburgh as part of BAS8 at SNGMA, and appears in the only Scottish performance of Children of the Mantic Stain ballet on the weaving floor at Dovecot
March 2016
Apprentice Weaver Ben Hymers’ first tapestry piece Penelope is cut from the loom
November 2016
Tufters Dennis Reinmüller and Kristi Vana complete Soft Machine rug with Jim Lambie for House of Voltaire exhibition in London
January 2017
Major tapestry project with Victoria Crowe for Leathersellers’ Livery Hall in London completed
March 2017
Three year tapestry collaboration with artist Chris Ofili is completed, as the triptych The Caged Bird’s Song is revealed
April-August 2017
Chris Ofili’s The Caged Bird’s Song tapestry is the focus of a major exhibition at The National Gallery, London and the subject of a BBC Imagine documentary
July- December 2017
Dovecot begins new tapestry with Garry Fabian Miller, alongside making three hearth rugs
August 2017
After 17 years at the helm, David Weir leaves his post as Director of Dovecot. Celia Joicey, formerly Head of Fashion and Textile Museum, London takes over the role.
Autumn 2017
Culmination of a 3 year exchange between Dovecot Studios and Australian Tapestry Workshop as part of Creative Futures, with the final exchange of weavers between the two studios
October 2017
Ben Hymers completes his Apprenticeship and becomes Junior Weaver
Autumn 2017
New apprentice Elaine Wilson begins learning the traditional skill of tapestry weaving at Dovecot
November 2017
Ben Hymer’s completes a tapestry interpretation of HRH Prince Charles’ watercolour Abandoned Cottage on the Isle of Stroma, Caithness as part of his weaving apprenticeship.
December 2017
Ben Hymers celebrates the end of his weaving apprenticeship with a display on our Viewing Balcony titled Magical Transformations which showcases his work.
January 2018
Peter Saville & Dovecot Studios, After, After, After Monarch of the Glen tapestry edition 2 / 5 complete & cut from the loom.
February 2018
Victoria Morton You Can Radiate Over Here Rug complete.
March 2018
Dovecot Patterns project displayed in our North Gallery.
June 2018
24 Lengths Project complete.
December 2018
Water Surface tapestry designed by David Cochrane cut from loom.
May 2019
Elaine Wilson completes her first major scale tapestry, as an apprentice weaver, from her own design: Texture.
July 2019
New tapestry with Barbara Rae RA, Peel Sound Ice, celebrating a 25 year creative relationship complete.
September 2019
Collaboration with Victoria Crowe on a new tapestry, Richer Twilight Venice
November 2019
Matt Connors Union Bug tapestry complete.