Printed Textiles
 

I found this on the V&A website whilst doing some digging.

It's a picture and some info of some printed fabric thought to be from Accrington Print Works. Accrington's rich textile history is always mentioned, but I've seen very little if any of the stuff they produced; so I thought I'd share it.

Re: Printed Textiles
 

It looks like a Jackson Pollock; maybe Accy was then a hundred years ahead of it's time - unlike now, fifty years behind.

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If Jackson Pollock had been born in Lancashire he'd have been slapped round the back of the head and told to do it again properly.

The design isn't to my tastes either, but I did find it interesting.

Re: Printed Textiles
 

Which printworks though I wonder. It could have been from Steiners, Broadoak Printworks or even Plantation Mill. Wonder who Mrs Ferguson, the donor, is related to.
Shame London has it, and not Accrington.

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Not really. I can go and look at it in a half hour journey. Anyway, I can appreciate it's intrinsic artistic value - unlike most on here.

Re: Printed Textiles
 

I think it'll be Broad Oak, as they occasionally used 'Printworks', or sometimes 'Print Works', on their printed textile designs.

Some interesting information on here, about which mills did what.

Cotton Mills in Accrington, Church and Oswaldtwistle 1891 - GracesGuide

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Just one problem with that, Gary:

The aprox. manufacture date is 1840-1860 and fashion textile design changed an awful between then and 1891.

But I'm sure there is another website somewhere which gives patented designs for the period.

Re: Printed Textiles
 

Sorry.

That link was just an add on, not really to do with who printed the textile.

The Lewis Textile Museum in Blackburn used to have some printed textiles, with printing on the selve edge which said Accrington Printworks, along with registration marks, which they attributed to Broad Oak.

They also had some printed handkerchiefs by Steiners, but they just had 'F. Steiner & Co.' printed on the edge.

Re: Printed Textiles
 

Some beautiful art nouveau style printed textiles by Steiner's on here.

Art Nouveau Patterns -- Patterns -- V&A Prints

Furnishing fabric, by F. Steiner & Co -- V&A Prints

Furnishing fabric, by F. Steiner & Co -- V&A Prints

F Steiner & Co 1902 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

...and a later one from the twenties. Probably inspired by the recent discovery of Tutankhamun's treasures.

Furnishing fabric - Victoria & Albert Museum - Search the Collections

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Wow, never knew this.

Christopher Dresser, one of Britain’s greatest industrial designers, did textile designs for Steiner's.

Flickr: The Textile Blog's Photostream

Christopher Dresser 1899 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Re: Printed Textiles
 

Whillst serving my apprenticeship at Lang Bridges, I helped make the patterns for an 18 colour printer for Steiners, it was reputed to be the biggest colour printer in England, took 3 months to make the sides, was quite a struggle to manouver it into the moulding shop, both furnaces were required to melt enough cast iron for one side,
all the blokes in the pattern shop who worked on it, were there to see it cast, took 4 days to cool, before it could be lifted out of the mould.
Retlaw.

Re: Printed Textiles
 

^^Thanks for the other links Garinda. I can't believe I haven't seen more of this stuff - it's nice to get a glimpse of what was actually being produced.

^That 18 colour printer sounds like a monster Retlaw :eek: I've been to many modern printers (paper, not fabric) and seen 4, 5 and 6 colour presses which are huge. Do you recall roughly what size that would have been?

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I think it was about 12' wide and 18' high, it was mainly circular in shape apart from the pedestle feet it stood on. which were an integral part of the casting, never saw it running, beats me how they put the cloth in to start it printing.
Retlaw