Oral History Interview Susan Schwartz

Partial Transcript: Today is May 2nd, 1984. My name is Teka Ward. I'm interviewing Susan Schwartz. We are at 3022 Vogue Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. Our topic is Lou Tate and the Little Loomhouse.

Segment Synopsis: Teka Ward introduces Susan Schwartz and begins the interview.

Keywords: Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Ky; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Susan, before we start on your memories of Lou Tate, tell me a little bit about yourself.

Segment Synopsis: Susan Schwartz describes her education background and career. She compares living in Louisville to her current home, New York City. She also talks about weaving on different looms, and about taking a weaving class in New York City.

Keywords: Little Looms; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mathematics; New York City Transit Authority; St. Louis; The Little Loomhouse; U.N.C. Chapel Hill; UNC Chapel Hill; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Urban Planning; Washington University; Y.W.C.A; YWCA

Subjects: City planning; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving; Young Women's Christian associations

Partial Transcript: Do you remember the first time you went to the Loomhouse?

Segment Synopsis: Susan Schwartz describes the first time she visited the Little Loomhouse about 20 years ago. She explains the sorts of weaving projects she did, and what the Little Loomhouse was like. Susan continues by talking about Lou Tate's dog, as well as her own dogs. She then begins to share about Lou Tate's teaching methods.

Keywords: B.B. Schwartz; Harriet Schwartz; Karen Weaver; Kenwood Hill; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse; Two Harness Loom

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Teaching; Weaving

Partial Transcript: And then also I guess Lou Tate did a lot for the State Fair.

Segment Synopsis: Susan Schwartz describes Lou Tate's involvement with the State Fair. She also talks about her own entries in the fair. Susan continues by talking about how she incorporated weaving with her experience in the Girl Scouts.

Keywords: Kentucky State Fair; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Agricultural exhibitions; Girl Scouts; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: But when I used to go to the Little Loomhouse, most of the weaving that we did was outside, outside the middle house.

Segment Synopsis: Susan describes her memories of weaving at the Little Loomhouse. As she got older, she did not go to the Little Loomhouse as often. Lou Tate called Susan to find out if she wanted to buy a loom that someone had available, and she did end up buying it. Susan also recalls an experience of an open house at the Little Loomhouse, and Lou Tate suggesting she save her dog's hair clippings.

Keywords: Carding wool; Coverlets; Drafts; Eleanor Roosevelt; Farmington; First Lady Roosevelt; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Patterns; Sheep; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: First ladies; Kentucky—History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Presidents' spouses; Weaving; Weaving--patterns; Wool-carding

Partial Transcript: Tell me some more about her technique of teaching weaving.

Segment Synopsis: Lou Tate focused a lot of her efforts in teaching weaving to teaching the history of coverlets and ways to interpret the patterns. Susan tells a story about finding Lou Tate's diploma for a degree in History. Susan talks about the time when the cabins became National Landmarks, and how Lou Tate seemed to be most comfortable around the children at the event. Lou Tate encouraged children to make independent decisions about their weaving. Susan explains the particular technique that Lou Tate used to teach children how to weave.

Keywords: Algebraic expression; David Banks; Four Harness Loom; History; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; National landmarks; Patterns; The Little Loomhouse; Top House; Two Harness Loom; University of Michigan; Wisteria

Subjects: Coverlets; Kentucky—History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving; Weaving--patterns

Partial Transcript: She herself had worked with the Girl Scouts. When you were a Girl Scout, did she ever tell you about that?

Segment Synopsis: Susan talks about knowing that Lou Tate was involved with the Girl Scouts, as well as about her membership in the Kentucky Weavers Junior.

Keywords: Kentucky Weavers Junior; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Girl Scouts; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: She was also kind of a colorful person...

Segment Synopsis: Susan describes Lou Tate's colorful style and outfits. Susan continues to explain how it seemed that everything Lou Tate did was involved with weaving.

Keywords: Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Did you ever go into Bottom House, also called the Little Loomhouse itself?

Segment Synopsis: Susan talks about going in the Bottom House in later years, and about how much stuff there was in it. She talks about squirrels in Lou Tate's house. She remembers putting plastic on the windows to keep it warm. Susan talks about Lou Tate's finances, and writing letters to spread the word about Lou Tate and the Little Loomhouse.

Keywords: Bottom House; David Banks; Eleanor Roosevelt; Esta; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Romano Louis Mazzoli; Romano Mazzoli; The Little Loomhouse; Top House

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Did you ever meet anyone in her family?

Segment Synopsis: Susan shares that she did not meet Lou Tate's family. Susan says that from the time she started visiting the Little Loomhouse at the age of 11, Lou Tate lived there full time with her dog. Susan remembers a time when a woman who was interested in modern weaving visited the Little Loomhouse, and how Lou Tate, a very traditional weaver, acted during that visit.

Keywords: Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Do you think that she...In terms of the Little Loom, do you think she credited herself with helping that happen.

Segment Synopsis: Susan talks about Lou Tate's perception of herself as an important fixture in the weaving world in Kentucky and beyond. She talks about the importance of the cabins and the woods in her memories of Lou Tate. Lou Tate even taught weaving at the nursing home that she had to stay in when she was sick. She went back to teach at the nursing home even when she was not sick.

Keywords: Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Who would take care of the Little Loomhouse when she was gone?

Segment Synopsis: Susan believes that the Little Loomhouse was just not open when Lou Tate was sick and not there. She describes how full the house was of looms and belongings. Wisteria cabin was for storage, and Lou Tate seemed to know where everything was. Susan also talks about how Lou Tate had a good memory for who had woven certain pieces. Lou Tate was also very particular about weavers leaving a piece of paper with their name on their loom at the end of the day so that others would know whose piece it was.

Keywords: Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse; Wisteria

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: This is the beginning of side 2, and Susan Schwartz and I are continuing our conversation on Lou Tate and the Little Loomhouse.

Segment Synopsis: Teka Ward introduces side two of the tape. Susan talks about how Lou Tate would try to organize people to be involved in the Little Loomhouse, but that a group never really formed until after her death. Susan describes the National Register recognition celebration and who was there.

Keywords: David Banks; Kathy Sloane; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: That was shortly before she died.

Segment Synopsis: Susan recalls hearing about Lou Tate's death. Her mother heard about Lou Tate's death and then they saw it in the paper. Susan said that she felt that Lou Tate took a liking to her family. She felt as if they were the representatives of the Jewish Community at the Little Loomhouse. She remembers all of the techniques Lou Tate taught her about weaving. Susan talks about visiting places around the world, getting excited about weaving in those places, and finding out if people in those places know who Lou Tate is. She also feels like Lou Tate guided the way she thinks about weaving and asks questions about its history. She reminisces about using natural items in weavings, and about other special weaving techniques.

Keywords: Carding wool; Jewish; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Nature; Patterns; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Judaism; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving; Weaving--patterns; Wool-carding

Partial Transcript: Then another thing was, recently my brother was in town...

Segment Synopsis: Susan recalls a memory of her nephew visiting the Little Loomhouse and how he was enthralled by the visit. Susan describes weaving a pillow for her college dorm room window seat and a vest. Susan says that there were so many things that Lou Tate wanted to do and make, but that she was not able to complete them all.

Keywords: Ann Kiper; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse; Vest; Warp; Wedding dress; Weft; Window seat

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving; Wedding costume

Partial Transcript: Where did she keep her coverlets?

Segment Synopsis: Susan describes how Lou Tate's coverlet collection was stored all over the cabins. Some coverlets were on loan from other places, and some were in better condition than others. Susan recalls how unique, different, and unusual Lou Tate was. She says that weaving was Lou Tate's life.

Keywords: Bottom House; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Coverlets; Coverlets--Private collections; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving; Weaving--patterns