textile sample from Ralli Brothers

Textile sample by Ralli Brothers, Manchester. It is a gauze-like white material. The label pinned to the top right corner reads Tantex. No 916. Terylene.

This fabric adds to the story of the type and quality of textiles being produced during the first half of the 20th century in Manchester and adds to the understanding of textile production and manufacturing processes of this time. This is one of over thirty pieces of fabric collected by an employee of Ralli Brothers in Manchester, while they worked as a clerk-bookkeeper between 1949 - 1953.

Terylene fabric was very new to the market in the early 1950s, having been developed by chemists at ICI during the 1940s. Terylene, made from synthetic fibres, was hard-wearing, quick-drying and crease-resistant. It was set to become an alternative to natural fibres such as cotton and wool. The development of artificial fibres led to a massive change in the textiles industry globally. Perhaps the sample was being investigated by staff at Ralli Brothers to learn more about their potential rivals.

Ralli Brothers was founded by five Greek brothers in 1818. The company mostly traded in silks, textiles, and spices. At their peak they had offices in London, Liverpool, and across Europe, Asia, and Africa. They were active in Manchester from the late 1820s. The Ralli Building, an imposing nine-story joint office and warehouse on the banks of the river Irwell, was opened in 1919. The building consolidated up to three separate warehouses that they had been using across Manchester. By the 1950s, a decline in trading meant that only five of the nine floors were being used by the Ralli Brothers. The building was demolished in the mid-1980s.