Oral History Interview Vivian Hyatt

Partial Transcript: Today is May 27th, 1984. My name is Teka Ward. I am interviewing Vivian Hyatt. We are at 503 Southland Boulevard, Louisville, Kentucky. Our topic is Lou Tate and the Little Loomhouse.

Segment Synopsis: Teka Ward introduces the interview with Vivian Hyatt.

Keywords: Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Southland Blvd.; Southland Boulevard; Teka Ward; The Little Loomhouse; Vivian Hyatt

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

Partial Transcript: As we begin, Mrs. Hyatt, please tell me something about you.

Segment Synopsis: Vivian Hyatt shares about herself by talking about her career history, hobbies, and family. She goes on to describe how she heard about Lou Tate through other women at the Wesley House. Hyatt met Lou Tate when she took the streetcar out to Kenwood Hill for an open house she read about in the paper.

Keywords: Jewish Hospital; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse; Top House; Wesley Community House; Wesley House; Wisteria

Subjects: Cable cars (Streetcars); Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving; Wesley foundations

Partial Transcript: What were you doing at Wesley House?

Segment Synopsis: Vivian Hyatt explains that she was attending lessons at the Wesley House to learn to weave rag rugs. She talks about her first workshop at the Little Loomhouse taught by Agnes Scott. Hyatt describes her second visit to the Loomhouse to attend a workshop led by a weaver from Wisconsin. She eventually signed up for regular classes at The Little Loomhouse.

Keywords: Agnes Scott; Ceramics; Laid-in; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; Nell Peterson; Our Lady of Peace; Rugs; Tapestries; The Arts Center; The Little Loomhouse; Top House; Wesley House; Wisconsin

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Rag rugs; Tapestry; Weaving; Wesley foundations

Partial Transcript: So then she had a class at Nazareth College, what they call it now which is Spalding.

Segment Synopsis: Vivian Hyatt describes attending Lou Tate's classes at Nazareth College.

Keywords: Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; Nazareth College; Spalding University; The Little Loomhouse

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

Partial Transcript: What is the next thing you remember after that in terms of your history with weaving that you did?

Segment Synopsis: Vivian Hyatt describes the Kentucky Weavers organization and the duties of group members. She talks about Lou Tate's weaving publications. She also talks about the Kentucky Weavers Junior organization and working with scouts.

Keywords: Kentucky Weaver's Junior; Kentucky Weavers; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mimeograph machines; Scouts; Weaving is Fun

Subjects: Cisterns; Fossils; Girl Scouts; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Mimeograph; Weaving; Wells

Partial Transcript: Did you help with the open houses?

Segment Synopsis: Vivian Hyatt talks about how she helped at open houses at the Little Loomhouse. She says that she was involved with the Little Loomhouse for about 30 years. She also talks about entering pieces in the Kentucky State Fair.

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

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

Partial Transcript: Teka Ward: When Lou Tate taught you all, you took weaving lessons directly from her?
Vivian Hyatt: Yes, that's right.
TW: Did she have a special technique of teaching you?

Segment Synopsis: Vivian Hyatt describes the progression of techniques that Lou Tate used to teach students how to weave. Vivian Hyatt names Lou Tate's international weaver friends and talks about Tate's visits with them. She recalls a time when she was invited to a party at the Loomhouse to meet an out of town visitor and it ended up being more of a cleaning day in which she discovered a leak in one of the cabins. She also took Lou Tate to run errands that day.

Keywords: Canada; Florence Ackley; Iroquois Park; Lace Weave; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; Malin Selander; Mary Black; Sweden; Two Harness

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

Partial Transcript: When I visited Tate at the hospital for the first time after she'd gone in, she says to me, "I want you to get all of the weavers together and the lawyer when I get back home because I want to make a will because I want to leave The Little Loomhouse to the weavers."

Segment Synopsis: Vivian Hyatt explains how Lou Tate asked her to help arrange her will so that the Little Loomhouse would be left to the weavers. Lou Tate made it very clear that she wanted the children's program at the Little Loomhouse to continue after her death. She describes helping to clean up the Little Loomhouse and sell some of the items inside after Lou Tate's death. After selling some of the items, they were able to begin the Lou Tate Foundation.

Keywords: Ann Kiper; Colonel Sanders; Kentucky State Fair; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Lou Tate Foundation; Louisa Tate Bousman; Scouts; Sue Kendrick; The Little Loomhouse

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

Partial Transcript: After she had died they took her over to the funeral home and they laid her out, and instead of flowers on the casket, they put one of the coverlets then. Hearts and Diamonds was spread on the casket.

Segment Synopsis: Vivian Hyatt describes Lou Tate's visitation at the funeral home. A coverlet was spread on her casket instead of flowers. She did not want a funeral. She was cremated, and her ashes were spread on the hill.

Keywords: Hearts and Diamonds; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman

Subjects: Coverlets; Cremation; Funeral rites and ceremonies; Funeral service; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving