I first used a George Wood Loom during my studies at Winchester School of Art at the age of 19.

George Wood looms were handcrafted in the 1950s by British engineer and craftsman, George Wood. There are 307 of these bespoke looms, handmade and individually numbered.

These photographs show me weaving on my George Wood Loom, number 49, on the final evening in my studio at Hotwalls, after 7 years. You can also see number 24 dismantled in the background of my studio.

Loom number 49 was gifted to me from Winchester School of Art in October 2021 as they no longer had the space to keep it. Number 24 was gifted to me by Jennifer Crouch who had it in her lounge in London for 8 years. She gave it to me after finishing her PhD earlier this year.

Both looms are floor looms, but number 24 is wider to accommodate for being able to make wider cloth.

As part of my Arts Council England Project From Soil to Cloth, I have been researching the history of George Wood Looms through George’s daughter. Back in June, I put out a call out to track down the locations and owners of other George Wood looms, to see where they have ended up and trace their stories.

So far, 54 George Wood loom owners have reached out to me with information, stories and their locations. This includes universities who hold multiple looms, individual artists and weavers. Some have been tracked from Australia, America and Europe. Overall, most of them are in weaving schools in the UK.

If you have a George Wood Loom or previously had one and would like to be involved in my research project, please visit below and fill out the form.

George Wood Loom Research Project

The last evening at my studio at Hotwalls after seven amazing years, weaving on my George Wood Loom

Photographs by Karl Bailey