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.
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.
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.
1926
Toyoda Automatic Loom, type G, made in 1926.
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.
1769
Original spinning machine, Sir Richard Arkwright and John Kay, England, 1769.
1865-1883
The Singer 'New Family' lockstitch sewing machine, made between 1865 and 1883.
1867
Model of a Jacquard loom (Scale 1:2), unknown maker, 1867.
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.
1830
Copy of Barthelemy Thimonnier's chain stitch sewing machine, first invented in 1830.
1858-1862
One of five power loom shuttles, by J. Harrison and Sons, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, 1858-1862.
1886-1887
Moldacot patent lockstitch sewing machine with accessories in tin case, by the Moldacot Pocket Sewing Machine Company, London, England, 1886-1887.
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.
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.
1769-1775
Original wrap-reel or winding wheel used at Sir Richard Arkwright's mill and probably made by John Kay, Cromford, Derbyshire, England, 1769-1775.
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.
1915-1920
Singer double-thread chainstitch glove sewing machine, c. 1917.
Spinning wheel, French
1913-1914
Willcox and Gibbs chain stitch sewing machine, c. 1914 model.
1745-1790
Portable spinning wheel, labelled 'James Webster, clockmaker, Salop', Mardol, Shrewsbury, England, 1745-1790.
Closed spindle type bobbin winder for lace, with seven bobbins and a paper tape.
1890-1950
Treadle sewing machine sold by Harris Ltd, a London retail firm. Harris purchased their machines from others (in this case, the National Sewing Machine Company of Illinois) and then put their own name on them for sale. This was a common practise in the UK and elsewhere.
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.
1870
Original Remington Arms lock-stitch sewing machine head: the 'Empire' model of 1870, by the Remington Arms Company, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 1870.
1871
Grover and Baker two-thread chain stitch sewing machine, 1871, an improved version of an 1851 model.
Scottish wool spinning wheel made by W. Waters of Wick, Scotland.
1800-1820
Model of a teasing mill, also known as a gig-mill, for raising the fibres of woollen cloth, reputed to be 18th century (scale 1:8).
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.
1908-1909
Model 66 lock stitch oscillating hook sewing machine,Branded 'Twentieth century', sectioned and mounted above a mirror, Singer Manufacturing Company, 1908-1909.
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
1879-1909
Lock stitch sewing machine, by Jones Sewing Machine Company, Manchester, England, 1879-1909
1771-1780
Carding machine by Sir Richard Arkwright (1732-1792), England, 1771-1780. Believed to be from Cromford Mill, Derbyshire.
Spinning wheel, English 17th or 18th century
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.
c. 1910
Domestic hand powered Frister and Rossmann vibrating shuttle lock stitch sewing machine, c. 1910.
Record hand knitter no. E24648, in box purchased Messrs Nicholson Ltd, St. Pauls Yard, London 8.11.54
1730-1800
Model of a handloom (as used previous to the invention of the fly shuttle in 1733), made 1730-1800.
1701-1800
French spinning wheel, iron, 18th century
patent 1853
Early lock-stitch sewing machine made in accordance with W.F. Thomas's patent of 1853
1867-1873
The 'Little Wanzer' lock stitch sewing machine, by the Wanzer Sewing Machine Company Ltd. (London), Great Portland Street, London, England, 1867-1873.
1853
Lock stitch sewing machine made by William Frederick Thomas, Holborn, London, England, 1853.
1948-1958
Cardboard box associated with the Singer model 319K lock stitch electric sewing machine, by the Singer Manufacturing Company, Kilbowie, Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, 1948-1958. Box contains eleven small metal components
1875-1892
Ward model A1 arm and platform lock stitch sewing machine, by Edward Ward, London, 1875-1892
1900
Table sewing machine made by Nothmann of Berlin, 1900. The machine is a close copy of the Singer Model 12 (New Family) machine. Compete with case
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.
1910-1950
Child's chain stitch Singer model 20 sewing machine first introduced in 1910.
1862
Model of Grimston's twine-balling machine, patented in 1860.
1872
J.Weir's chain stitch sewing machine, model no. 55S of 1872.
