What Katy found

I call in from time to time at Katy Gooding’s vintage and collectables shop at 57 High Street in Budleigh Salterton.

There’s a blurred line between some of its contents and some of the artefacts that make up Fairlynch Museum’s collection.

In my quest for traces of Budleigh’s Anglo-Indian heritage which I mention here I wondered whether I might find the odd pith helmet or stuffed tiger among Katy’s collectables, or even a Belinda Lee poster. 

No such luck, but Katy did show me something equally rare and interesting for an admirer of William Morris designs.   

Jeannie Foord was a Glaswegian painter of plants and flowers who in 1901 published a fine book intended for use by artists, designers, students and others.

The Daily Telegraph noted, "Never before has the essential character of different plants received from the point of view of their adaptability for decorative purposes the careful study and brilliant representation which they receive at Miss Foord's hands in this exquisitely printed and coloured book." 

Artisans, including the Arts & Crafts movement’s William Morris, converted her images into designs for stained glass, fabric, and woodwork. “The plants are displayed with a delicate grace and beauty that is a testament to the artistry of Foord and the Art Nouveau concepts that inspired her,” says Katy.

The poor old book has had some rough times and is beyond repair as a book, but Katy has most of the plates from the original 1901 publication. “Please ask if there is a particular flower or plant as I may still have it,” she says.

 

What Katy Did's website is at http://whatkatydid.biz