Oral History Interview Doris Tipton

Partial Transcript: Today is May 12th, 1984. My name is Teka Ward. I am interviewing Doris Tipton. We are at 4107 Hopewell, Jeffersontown, Kentucky. Our topic is Lou Tate and the Little Loomhouse.

Segment Synopsis: Ward introduces the interview by giving the date, her name, her interviewee's name (Tipton), their location, and the topic.

Keywords: Doris Tipton; Hopewell Rd; Hopewell Road; J-Town; Jeffersontown, Kentucky; Jeffersontown, Ky; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; The Little Loomhouse

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

Partial Transcript: As we begin, first tell me a little bit about yourself.

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Tipton talks about how she met Lou Tate at the Wesley House when she was 16 years old. She said she was involved at the Wesley House from 1939-1955. She tells some stories about teaching weaving as well. She describes weaving as her life.

Keywords: Amherst College; Amherst University; Hobby Weavers; Kentucky State Fair; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Rose Pero; The Little Loomhouse; Wesley Community House; Wesley House

Subjects: Agricultural exhibitions; Coverlets; Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Teaching; Universities and colleges; Weaving; Wesley foundations

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

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Tipton talks about many things from meeting Lou Tate's family, to teaching people to weave, to taking "lessons" from Lou Tate. She talks about helping Lou Tate teach people with disabilities at the Frankfort Training Home, as well as teaching at Nazareth College.

Keywords: 3rd Street; Drafts; Frankfort Training Home; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Nazareth College; Rose Pero; The Little Loomhouse; Third Street; Top House

Subjects: Coverlets; Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Teaching; Universities and colleges; Weaving; Woolen and worsted drawing

Partial Transcript: I've seen a picture of you and Rose Pero and some others. Do you want to tell me about that photograph? It was concerning the graduation.

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Tipton talks about graduating from "The Loomatic College" at the Little Loomhouse. Lou Tate even had certificates made for the "graduates." Tipton shares about the tasks they had to complete in order to graduate. She also talks about the work that went into Lou Tate's weaving publications, including completing weaving drafts. She describes the way that Lou Tate helped them get started on completing an unfinished draft.

Keywords: Drafts; Hobby Weavers; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Rose Pero; Sue Kendrick; The Little Loomhouse; The Loomatics; Top House

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Photographs; Weaving; Woolen and worsted drawing

Partial Transcript: Some of the looms were painted. Do you remember why some of them...

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Tipton talks about teaching at Fort Knox and about working to buy her own loom and thread.

Keywords: Fort Knox; Ft. Knox; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Sectional warping; Spools; The Little Loomhouse; Wesley House

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving; Wesley foundations

Partial Transcript: Doris Tipton: Talking about Peggy Lumpkin...
Teka Ward: Yes, right now we're looking at a cup which is identical...

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Tipton brings up a personalized Hadley Pottery cup that was gifted to her. Tipton and Ward talk about a photo of a similar cup that Rose Pero spoke about in her interview. Mrs. Tipton recalls how they knew Mary Alice Hadley personally, and how Hadley would come out to The Little Loomhouse and visit from time to time. They were all members of the Louisville Craftsmen's Guild. Ward announces that this is the end of Side one, Interview one.

Keywords: Hadley Pottery; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville Artisans Guild; Louisville Craftsmen's Guild; Louisville Water Tower; Mary Alice Hadley; Rose Pero; The Little Loomhouse; The Loomatics

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

Partial Transcript: This is side two. We are continuing our discussion of the Louisville Craftsmen's Guild which started in 1958.

Segment Synopsis: Ward introduces this as side two of the interview. Mrs. Tipton talks about a lesson on color taught by Nelle Peterson through the Louisville Craftsmen's Guild. Lou Tate brought many people out to the Little Loomhouse to teach different workshops. Tipton also talks about traveling to Nova Scotia with Lou Tate.

Keywords: Amherst College; Florence Mackley; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville Artisans Guild; Louisville Craftsmen's Guild; Nelle Peterson; Nova Scotia; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Guilds; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Universities and colleges; Weaving

Partial Transcript: But of course, I think Tate and most of us are traditional weavers.

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Tipton explains how she would consider Lou Tate and most of her followers to be traditional weavers because they used drafts and patterns that came from traditional coverlets. She also explains how Lou Tate chose her to work with students with disabilities. Ward asks Tipton about Lou Tate's Little Looms, which inspires her to talk about making clothes for a "style show" or "fashion show" at Amherst College.

Keywords: Ada Dietz; Amherst College; Drafts; Fashion show; Florence Mackley; Little looms; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Style show; The Little Loomhouse; Traditional

Subjects: Arts, Colonial; Coverlets; Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Universities and colleges; Weaving; Woolen and worsted drawing

Partial Transcript: Did she ever discuss with you her experiences recovering these coverlets...finding these coverlets and getting them? Did she ever talk to you about the young people and teaching them?

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Tipton does not have much to say about Lou Tate's coverlet collecting, but she does respond to Teka Ward's question about Lou Tate teaching young people. Tipton says that Lou Tate loved to teach children.

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

Subjects: Children; Coverlets; Coverlets--Private collections; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Teaching; Weaving

Partial Transcript: You'll find most of our patterns here in Kentucky are traditional patterns.

Segment Synopsis: The interview tape seems to skip forward and lands on Mrs. Tipton talking about traditional coverlet patterns in Kentucky. She talks about Lou Tate and the Little Loomhouse and the Hobby Weavers being more traditional weavers, and the weavers in Amherst being more modern weavers. Ward and Tipton also talk about the Kentucky State Fair, the Little Loomhouse Country Fair, and the Country Fairs at the Wesley House.

Keywords: Amherst College; Florence Mackley; Hobby Weavers; Kentucky State Fair; Little Loomhouse Country Fair; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Nova Scotia; The Little Loomhouse; Traditional; Wesley House

Subjects: Agricultural exhibitions; Coverlets; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Universities and colleges; Weaving; Weaving--patterns; Wesley foundations

Partial Transcript: I heard that Lou Tate didn't like to part with her Little Looms.

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Tipton talks about how Lou Tate didn't like to part with her Little Looms which leads her into a discussion of the interior of The Little Loomhouse buildings. They talk specifically about the Bottom House, or Esta, which is where Lou Tate lived. They often worked on Lou Tate's publications and drafts at the Bottom House. Tipton describes the Wisteria cabin as more of a storage location.

Keywords: Bottom House; Drafts; Esta; Little Looms; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse; Wisteria

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Log cabins; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving; Woolen and worsted drawing

Partial Transcript: Why did the children mainly start not until after 1955? Do you remember anything about that?

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Tipton talks very briefly about how she potentially thought that the teaching of children didn't start at the Little Loomhouse until after 1955 because she had always considered herself to be a child, so she didn't notice it.

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

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

Partial Transcript: Did she ever talk about going...having been in college in Berea?

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Tipton talks about how Lou Tate used to describe her time at Berea. She said that when she would complain about being tired, Lou Tate would talk about how much she had to weave at Berea. Mrs. Tipton believes that Lou Tate went to graduate school for engineering which is why she was so good at drawing drafts.

Keywords: Berea College; Drafts; Graduate school; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Engineering; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Universities and colleges; Weaving; Woolen and worsted drawing

Partial Transcript: When was the last time you saw Lou Tate?

Segment Synopsis: Mrs. Tipton talks about the last time she visited Lou Tate which was when she had moved into the nursing home. She says that even then, Lou Tate was working on starting a weaving program at the nursing home. Tipton ends the interview by talking about teaching after her stroke, and about how she will always treasure what she learned from Lou Tate.

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

Subjects: Cerebrovascular disease; Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Nursing homes; Teaching; Weaving