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In the late 70's Ralph entered designs for two tapestry competitions. One for the Glasgow City Chambers and one for the Glasgow Cathedral.
He also did designs for curtain and upholstery fabric.
Ralph submitted a proposal for a tapestry for the Glasgow City Chambers.
The motifs related to Glasgow's heritage including its industry - shipbuilding, engineering and electronics as well as radar and computer systems. It also makes reference to the early church and includes the heraldic symbols of the city as well as honouring the designs of Rennie Macintosh. These he described in the Elevation of Tapestry on the right.
(Highly commended but not produced)
The lower section showing shipbuilding and industry
Iron and steel
Industry and radar
Glasgow crest
A further detail
Wools for the tapestry
Ralph took part in the Robert Love Bequest competition for a tapestry design for Glasgow Cathedral where he won second prize. The work was entitled The Christian Faith in Scotland.
The river runs through all three panels and symbolises the importance of water in the life of Christ- His ministry by the Sea of Galilee, the miracle of changing water into wine and Christian baptism.
St Mongo who founded Glasgow Cathedral is depicted in the first panel. The second shows the figure of Christ in prayer and in the final panel the design shows St Columba journeying from Iona to meet St Mongo.
Throughout his career Ralph produced textile designs. In the 30s he did screen prints and later one of his patterns was made into a curtain fabric for Donald Brothers of Dundee who were one of the leading textile manufacturers at the time.
