Specimen of artificial silk

Early specimen of artificial silk made by Sir Joseph Swan, 1883; crocheted/embroidered by Lady Swan to form a border to a handkerchief, for display at Exhibition of Inventions, London 1885.

In 1877, Swan began his work which resulted in his invention of the incandescent filament electric lamp. In 1883 Sir Joseph devised a new principle of filament manufacture which consisted of squirting an emulsion of cellulose nitrate in acetic acid through a nozzle into a coagulating liquid, in this case alcohol. Swan denitrated the fibres by treating them with a solution of ammonium sulphide. These were then carbonised to be used in his lamps. Swan saw the possibilities of the use of cellulose as a textile fabric but did not exploit this possibility. Swan's work influenced the later work of his employees, Fred Topham, Legh Powell and C H Stearn.