Loom:Walco Indian Bead Loom

Susan Bonynge Strange, born in 1946, received a Walco Indian Bead Loom as a child. Though her "mother and maternal grandmother tried to teach (her) to sew, knit, embroider and other 'womanly arts,' (she'd) have none of it. Working on this little loom was as close to 'handwork' as (she) was willing to go." Susan spent "many happy hours" carefully following a pattern and trying to finish making a belt. She remembers the loom and the project fondly as an adult. The Walco Bead Company, makers of the loom, was probably the largest glass bead distributing outfit in the United States during the twentieth century. Looms such as this sold well even during the Great Depression; glass beads were cheap. Walco bead looms such as this remained unchanged for most of the century.