{"id":33,"date":"2013-07-03T12:38:00","date_gmt":"2013-07-03T12:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/?page_id=33"},"modified":"2023-03-04T23:04:20","modified_gmt":"2023-03-04T23:04:20","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"About MacGregor &#038; Michael"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='full_slider_1'  class='avia-fullwidth-slider main_color avia-shadow   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_one_half  avia-builder-el-first   container_wrap sidebar_right'  ><div  class='avia-slideshow av-3sbnx-19dc4a6ca8be2cf40dbd90d54a640d65 avia-slideshow-featured av_slideshow_full avia-slide-slider av-slideshow-ui av-control-default av-slideshow-manual av-loop-once av-loop-manual-endless av-default-height-applied   avia-slideshow-1' data-slideshow-options=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;slide&quot;,&quot;autoplay&quot;:false,&quot;loop_autoplay&quot;:&quot;once&quot;,&quot;interval&quot;:5,&quot;loop_manual&quot;:&quot;manual-endless&quot;,&quot;autoplay_stopper&quot;:false,&quot;noNavigation&quot;:false,&quot;bg_slider&quot;:false,&quot;keep_padding&quot;:false,&quot;hoverpause&quot;:false,&quot;show_slide_delay&quot;:0}\"  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 28.666666666667%;'><li  class='avia-slideshow-slide av-3sbnx-19dc4a6ca8be2cf40dbd90d54a640d65__0  av-single-slide slide-1 slide-odd'><div data-rel='slideshow-1' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-317 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-317\" src=\"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/workshop-1500x430.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"430\" title=\"workshop\" alt=\"\" itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/workshop.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/workshop-300x86.jpg 300w, https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/workshop-1030x295.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/workshop-705x202.jpg 705w, https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/workshop-450x129.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\"><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_1'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-33'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<div  class='flex_column av-2ugwx-48a2456cb25871ae10fcaffdb0dcd97a av_one_half  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_slideshow_full  el_before_av_one_half  avia-builder-el-first  first flex_column_div  '     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-1z82h-149239c04910c9d3f39a03fad0fbd990 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><h3>About Us<\/h3>\n<p>We began our leather working careers in Bristol in 1971, moving to our current workshop in Tetbury, Gloucestershire in 1976. We make a range of men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s bags, luggage, belts, cases, wallets, purses etc using the best quality vegetable tanned leathers sourced from the UK and Europe.<\/p>\n<p>A very special leather we have had the privilege to work with for some years is a 200 year old &#8216;Russia&#8217; leather.\u00a0 <span class=\"s1\">On the 10th\u00a0December 1786, the <\/span>Danish Brigantine\u00a0Metta Catharina\u00a0laden with hemp and \u201cRussia\u201d leather was dashed against the rocks of Drakes Island in Plymouth Sound and sank. In 1973, divers located the wreck 30m down on the seabed. Littered around it were bundles of hides. Subsequent research confirmed that this leather, remarkably preserved in the cold black mud, tanned traditionally with willow bark and curried with birch oil, had survived due to the expertise of the St Petersburg tanners. The unique grain pattern and distinctive aroma of this beautiful leather can be appreciated and experienced 200 years after it was made.<\/p>\n<p>Over the years we have fine-tuned our skills through a combination of experience, experimentation and research, always willing to explore challenging design ideas. Everything we make is by hand, including the stitching. This means each piece is individually made to only the highest standards of craftsmanship using leathers, threads and metal fittings to compliment this care.<\/p>\n<p>We often work with customers on commissioned pieces, sometimes having the metal fittings specially made in silver or gold to suit the piece. We have worked with other makers including the show maker Caroline Groves and furniture makers\u00a0 Matthew Burt, Brian Jordan, John Makepeace, Richard Williams, SF Furniture, Thomas Messel, Katy Walker.<\/p>\n<p>Providing training in design and making, passing on our knowledge, has become a important part of what we do. Many of our students have set up their own workshops\/businesses or work in the leather goods industry, helping to introduce hand making skills into established companies so that \u2018Hand made in Britain\u2019 means what it says !<\/p>\n<p>We have been members of the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen for over 25 years and exhibit regularly with them (<a href=\"https:\/\/guildcrafts.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">guildcrafts.org.uk<\/a>).For many years, we were trustees of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.museumofleathercraft.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Museum of Leathercraft<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Work by MacGregor and Michael is in the collections of :<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Walsall Leather Museum, Walsall, West Midlands. UK<\/li>\n<li>Museum of Leathercraft, Northampton UK<\/li>\n<li>Museu de l\u2019Art de la Pell, Vic, Spain<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Publications<\/h3>\n<p>&#8216;The Leatherworking Handbook&#8217; by Valerie Michael. Pub.Cassell 1993. This is a &#8216;how to&#8217; book which has been in print for 28 years and has sold at least 150,000 copies worldwide. It has been translated into German and Spanish.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Dictionary of Leatherworking Tools&#8217; by R A Salaman 1986 &#8211; Neil contributed the chapter on leather decoration.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Leather in Life ,Art &amp; Industry &#8216;- biographical survey of John Waterer&#8217;s life &amp; work including an exhibition catalogue edited by Neil MacGregor for the Museum of Leathercraft 1992<\/p>\n<p>Featured in\u00a0<b>Country Life<\/b>\u00a0( September 28 th, 2011 issue)<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Leather Goods Manufacture&#8217; by G.C. Moseley &#8211; Neil has written the introduction to the 2017 enlarged reprint.<\/p>\n<p>A range of work made by MacGregor &amp; Michael is available from their new showroom at 37 Silver Street, Tetbury, Glos. GL8 8DL. UK.<\/p>\n<p>We are usually open Wednesday &#8211; Saturday 11 am to 4 pm but from time to time we need to attend events or have a break so its best to contact us to make sure we are open before making a special journey.\u00a0 You can also make an appointment to visit, particularly with the Covid 19 pandemic,\u00a0 as this will ensure we are here and you have the time and attention to make the most of your visit.<\/p>\n<p>Please telephone or<a href=\"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/contact-us\/\"> email<\/a> to arrange a day and time, thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Tel: ( 0044) 01666 502179<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-1eeat-61de5b0ee9e2f07220d5330c8498874a\">\n.flex_column.av-1eeat-61de5b0ee9e2f07220d5330c8498874a{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-1eeat-61de5b0ee9e2f07220d5330c8498874a av_one_half  avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_one_half  avia-builder-el-last  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  '     ><style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-15rhx-f4a63c486db13e00629cbd2cb99cb873\">\n.avia-image-container.av-15rhx-f4a63c486db13e00629cbd2cb99cb873 img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-15rhx-f4a63c486db13e00629cbd2cb99cb873 .av-caption-image-overlay-bg{\nopacity:0.4;\nbackground-color:#000000;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-15rhx-f4a63c486db13e00629cbd2cb99cb873 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-15rhx-f4a63c486db13e00629cbd2cb99cb873 av-styling- av-hover-grow avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-4  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  noHover av-overlay-on-hover'   itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/MM-967x1030.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/MM-967x1030.jpg 967w, https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/MM-282x300.jpg 282w, https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/MM-662x705.jpg 662w, https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/MM-450x480.jpg 450w, https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/MM.jpg 990w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 967px) 100vw, 967px\" class=\"avia_image\" aria-label=\"Valerie Michael &amp; Neil MacGregor\"><div class=\"av-image-caption-overlay\"><div class=\"av-caption-image-overlay-bg\"><\/div><div class=\"av-image-caption-overlay-position\"><div class=\"av-image-caption-overlay-center\"><p>Valerie Michael &amp; Neil MacGregor<br \/>\n(Photo by Oliver Martin)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-359 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-359 avia_image ' src=\"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/MM-967x1030.jpg\" alt='Valerie Michael &amp; Neil MacGregor' title='Valerie Michael &amp; Neil MacGregor'  height=\"1030\" width=\"967\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/MM-967x1030.jpg 967w, https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/MM-282x300.jpg 282w, https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/MM-662x705.jpg 662w, https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/MM-450x480.jpg 450w, https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/MM.jpg 990w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 967px) 100vw, 967px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/33"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/33\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14001,"href":"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/33\/revisions\/14001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/macgregorandmichael.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}