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.
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.
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.
1769
Original spinning machine, Sir Richard Arkwright and John Kay, England, 1769.
1837
Machine used for covering wires with silk and cotton for electrical purposes, made by W T Henley, Whitechapel, London, England, 1837
1810
Old Spitalfields hand loom with jacquard mechanism.
1865-1883
The Singer 'New Family' lockstitch sewing machine, made between 1865 and 1883.
1830
Copy of Barthelemy Thimonnier's chain stitch sewing machine, first invented in 1830.
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.
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.
Early Wheeler and Wilson hand-powered lock stitch sewing machine of a design of about 1867; this model was made around 1885.
1771-1780
Carding machine by Sir Richard Arkwright (1732-1792), England, 1771-1780. Believed to be from Cromford Mill, Derbyshire.
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
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.
1886-1887
Moldacot patent lockstitch sewing machine with accessories in tin case, by the Moldacot Pocket Sewing Machine Company, London, England, 1886-1887.
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.
1858-1862
One of five power loom shuttles, by J. Harrison and Sons, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, 1858-1862.
1867
Model of a Jacquard loom (Scale 1:2), unknown maker, 1867.
1861-1868
Lock-stitch treadle sewing machine of the Wheeler Wilson type, by Newton Wilson and Co., High Holborn, London, England, 1861-1868.
1908-1909
Model 66 lock stitch oscillating hook sewing machine,Branded 'Twentieth century', sectioned and mounted above a mirror, Singer Manufacturing Company, 1908-1909.
1970
Industrial double thread chain stitch sewing machine, model no. 552, made by Singer, USA, c. 1970.
1745-1790
Portable spinning wheel, labelled 'James Webster, clockmaker, Salop', Mardol, Shrewsbury, England, 1745-1790.
prob year of patent 1802
Model hand loom for weaving sacks (and so on) without a seam (scale 1:8), invented by T. Clulow in 1802.
1730-1800
Model of a handloom (as used previous to the invention of the fly shuttle in 1733), made 1730-1800.
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
1872
J.Weir's chain stitch sewing machine, model no. 55S of 1872.
1867-1873
The 'Little Wanzer' lock stitch sewing machine, by the Wanzer Sewing Machine Company Ltd. (London), Great Portland Street, London, England, 1867-1873.
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.
1915-1920
Singer double-thread chainstitch glove sewing machine, c. 1917.
1801-1850
Small wooden spinning wheel, United Kingdom, 1801-1850.
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.
1883
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.
1871
Lockstitch sewing machine head of a Howe treadle driven machine, by the Howe Manufacturing Company, New York, United States, dated 1871.
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.
1913-1914
Willcox and Gibbs chain stitch sewing machine, c. 1914 model.
1879-1909
Lock stitch sewing machine, by Jones Sewing Machine Company, Manchester, England, 1879-1909.
patent 1853
Early lock-stitch sewing machine made in accordance with W.F. Thomas's patent of 1853
Scottish wool spinning wheel made by W. Waters of Wick, Scotland.
Model of strand making machine for cotton rope with 49 reel frame, unknown maker.
Power loom shuttle, one of five, by J. Harrison and Sons, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, 1858-1862
1860-1867
Boot-upper closing Howe lock-stitch sewing machine with accessories, made by Howe Sewing Machine Company, New York, United States, 1860-1867.
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.
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.
1851
Reproduction of Judkin's lockstitch sewing machine made by Platt Bros & Co Ltd., Oldham, Manchester, England, shown at 1851 Exhibition.
1896-1900
Six skeins and one spool of artificial silk made at Wolston, near Coventry, between 1896 and 1900.
1850-1970
Gibson 'Z' type industrial blanket whipping sewing machine.
1853
Lock stitch sewing machine made by William Frederick Thomas, Holborn, London, England, 1853.
1890
Automatic lock stitch button-hole sewing machine by Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing Co., Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States, 1890.
