Larsen took his design inspiration from around the world, visiting scores of countries to learn traditional hand-weaving and loom techniques which he interpreted in new and innovative ways. In 1997, Jack Lenor Larsen Incorporated was purchased by the English firm Colefax and Fowler.
On the occasion of this purchase, a decision was made to donate Larsen’s entire archive to the University of Minnesota (Elmer L. Andersen Library Archives and the Goldstein Museum of Design) and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
About the Interviewer
Dr. Stephanie Zollinger is a Professor in the College of Design, University of Minnesota. She has long been a scholar of Jack Lenor Larsen. She was curator of the Goldstein Museum of Design (GMD) exhibitions Inspirations of an Innovator: Jack Lenor Larsen (2001) and Jack Lenor Larsen at 90 (2017). She was also the co-author of the catalog Interplay: Perspectives on the Design Legacy of Jack Lenor Larsen.
To help preserve the Larsen legacy, Dr. Zollinger interviewed many of Larsen’s former designers, employees, and colleagues. These interviews were audiotaped and transcribed and are now an important source of information available for scholars and admirers of Jack Lenor Larsen.
Oral History Transcripts & Audio Clips
Project Contributors & Support
Julie Irish, Research Assistant for the Jack Lenor Larsen Oral History Project, assisted with curating the website content and design of web pages.
Funding for these oral histories was provided by a Craft Research Fund Grant from the University of North Carolina, Asheville Center for Craft, Creativity & Design.
