Machinery and other objects - from carding engines and looms to printing blocks and fabric specimens - tell the story of Britain's role in textile manufacturing from the Industrial Revolution onwards.
Textiles Machinery
1775
Improved spinning machine (water frame), by Sir Richard Arkwright, England, 1775.
1926
Toyoda Automatic Loom, type G, made in 1926.
1857
Model, scale 1:3, of a power loom for simple plain weaving made by Messrs. Sevill and Woolstenhulme, Oldham, Manchester, England, 1857. This loom gives the most elementary kind of weaving in which weft crosses over and under the warps alternately and was the type used extensively for calico weaving. There is an arrangement for stopping the loom automatically if the shuttle does not reach its box after each pick, and if the weft should break then a weft fork device which is normally balanced to rest on the unbroken thread falls and operates cut off machinery to stop the loom.
c. 1846
Lockstitch sewing machine by Elias Howe, Lowell, Massachusetts, United States, made about 1846, the first sewing machine to be brought to England from America in that year.
1837
Machine used for covering wires with silk and cotton for electrical purposes, made by W T Henley, Whitechapel, London, England, 1837
1769
Original spinning machine, Sir Richard Arkwright and John Kay, England, 1769.
1810
Old Spitalfields hand loom with jacquard mechanism.
1865-1883
The Singer 'New Family' lockstitch sewing machine, made between 1865 and 1883.
Early Wheeler and Wilson hand-powered lock stitch sewing machine of a design of about 1867; this model was made around 1885.
1908-1909
Model 66 lock stitch oscillating hook sewing machine,Branded 'Twentieth century', sectioned and mounted above a mirror, Singer Manufacturing Company, 1908-1909.
1760-1775 probable date
Textile printing block of irregular rectangular shape, boxwood faced design with some use of metal pins; ornate column with large flowers arranged around it and probably used for soft furnishing. Made in England, probably c. 1760-1775.
1913-1914
Willcox and Gibbs chain stitch sewing machine, c. 1914 model.
1867
Model of a Jacquard loom (Scale 1:2), unknown maker, 1867.
1874
Saint's chain stitch sewing machine made from drawings contained in a patent granted to Thomas Saint in 1790, by Newton Wilson and Co., 1874.
1842-1858
Power loom manufactured by J. Harrison and Son, Blackburn, England and fitted with the loose reed emergency stop mechanism of 1842. Exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and subsequently modified by the makers with design changes up to 1858.
Spinning wheel from Tyrol
1935
Casablancas high draft spinning unit, 1935
1870
Original Remington Arms lock-stitch sewing machine head: the 'Empire' model of 1870, by the Remington Arms Company, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 1870.
1851-1855
Singer Lockstitch sewing machine model of 1851, by I. M. Singer and Company or the Singer Manufacturing Company, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 1851-1855
1866
Wheeler and Wilson lock stitch sewing machine, type No.1. The first machine with rotary hook and four motion feed patented by Allen B. Wilson 1851 and 1854, and made in 1866.
1877-1904
Willcox and Gibbs chainstitch sewing machine, made by Brown and Sharpe under the brand name Willcox and Gibbs Sewing Machine Company, 1877-1904.
1783-1784
Specimens of linen (on two sheets) dated 1783-4, with M.S. descriptions, 'Being patterns submitted for the duty of 15 per cent under the Act 24 Geo. III Chap. 40.' [Act no. 24 of George III, chapter 40] Of German and Flemish origin, unknown maker.
Portion of a ring spinning frame of 44 spindles (originally 400) made by Dobson & Barlow Ltd., 1926, one side of which has been converted in 1963 to the Casablancas high draft system; object is complete with spares for conversion to original state.
1872
J.Weir's chain stitch sewing machine, model no. 55S of 1872.
1745-1790
Portable spinning wheel, labelled 'James Webster, clockmaker, Salop', Mardol, Shrewsbury, England, 1745-1790.
1839
Jacquard-woven picture "A la memoire de J.M. Jacquard" after the original by C. Bonnefond, in frame 20" x 14", frame 31" x 27", 1839
1867-1873
The 'Little Wanzer' lock stitch sewing machine, by the Wanzer Sewing Machine Company Ltd. (London), Great Portland Street, London, England, 1867-1873.
Closed spindle type bobbin winder for lace, with seven bobbins and a paper tape.
1879
Spinning wheel, Lapland, 1879 with carved distaff
Singer industrial sewing machine model 16H 529 Serial no. K 894106
1801-1850
Small wooden spinning wheel, United Kingdom, 1801-1850.
1886-1887
Moldacot patent lockstitch sewing machine with accessories in tin case, by the Moldacot Pocket Sewing Machine Company, London, England, 1886-1887.
1883
Lock stitch sewing machine head representing the final form of the Howe machine, by the Howe Machine Company, Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States, 1883 model.
1871
Grover and Baker two-thread chain stitch sewing machine, 1871, an improved version of an 1851 model.
1771-1780
Carding machine by Sir Richard Arkwright (1732-1792), England, 1771-1780. Believed to be from Cromford Mill, Derbyshire.
1851
Reproduction of Judkin's lockstitch sewing machine made by Platt Bros & Co Ltd., Oldham, Manchester, England, shown at 1851 Exhibition.
1830
Copy of Barthelemy Thimonnier's chain stitch sewing machine, first invented in 1830.
Model (scale 1:6) of hand warping mill for small quantities of yarn, 17th century.
1750-1830
23 wood blocks for printing chintz and calico with English designs typical of the period, by unknown maker, England, 1750-1830. Each block consists of a mahogany or oak base with a thin face of more expensive boxwood. The pattern is drawn on reverse on the boxwood and then cut. By about 1900 block printing had largely been superceded by rotary printing.
1888
Lock stitch sewing machine head with step feed for sewing leather or other heavy work, made by the Howe Machine Company, New York, United States, 1888.
Spinning wheel, French
1885-1890
Lock stitch ' family' oscillating shuttle sewing machine, by the Singer Manufacturing Company, 1885-1890.
1950
Passap M 201 flat bed domestic knitting machine, c. 1950; complete with accessories and operating instructions.
1976
Electric circuit board associated with a Singer Futura sewing machine, by Singer Manufacturing Company, Germany, 1976
No. 9 lockstitch sewing machine head, by the Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing Company, Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States, 1888.
2 specimens of waste silk.
Four needle lock stitch sewing machine
c. 1970
Bobbin-net demonstration machine, constructed by the Science Museum Workshops, which is a copy of the original machine made by Samuel Blackmore in late 1880. This uses some parts from the original machine.
1800-1802
Machine for winding cotton into balls, invented by Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, unsigned, United Kingdom, 1800-1802. The first machine made was used at Strutts Cotton Mill. Belper.
Textile printing block, wood, rectangular, with a boxwood face, pins and metal strips forming a fern pattern. Made in England, 1750-1830.
