Textile Mill Collection

Burnley Weavers Triangle DES01_01_0212
Weavers Triangle, Burnley, Lancashire. A view looking south east along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal from Westgate Bridge showing mills and warehouses lining the canal

Old wool mills, west of the city, looking south from Manningham area, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Cloth labels from American textile mills, 1800s
Labels for cloth woven at 19th-century textile mills, displayed in Lowell, Massachusetts. Photograph

Jacquard loom, 1880s
Woman worker using a mechanized Jacquard loom, 1880s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illlustration

Wool sorters, c1880. A print from Great Industries of Great Britain, Volume I, published by Cassell Petter and Galpin, (London, Paris, New York, c1880)

TEXTILE MANUFACTURE, 1834. Mule spinning in a cotton textile mill. Line engraving

Cotton Printing at Merton Abbey Works, c1884. Creator: Unknown
Cotton Printing at Merton Abbey Works, c1884. Workers hand-printing cotton fabric with woodblocks at Merton Abbey Mills in south London

Hammersmith Carpet Weaving at Merton Abbey Works, . Creator: Unknown
Hammersmith Carpet Weaving at Merton Abbey Works, late 19th century. Female weaver at a loom at Merton Abbey Mills in south London

Saltaire works, c1880. Sir Titus Salt (1803-1876) discovered a method of blending alpaca wool with cotton and silk. He is best remembered as the builder of Saltaire Mill near Bradford, Yorkshire

New Lanark Mills, Scotland, c1815. Robert Owens (1771-1858) model community of cotton mills and housing. Educational facilities were provided, as well as the worlds first day nursery

TEXTILE MILL, c1915. A foreman inspects a newly-imprinted piece of cotton cloth at a textile mill, Lawrence, Massachusetts. Photographed c1915

Armley Mills Leeds 28009_064
Leeds Industrial Museum, Armley Mills, Canal Road, Armley, Leeds. Originally the site of a corn and fulling mill, in 1805 it was developed to be the largest woollen mill in the world

Taylor's silk mill, 1860
3480177 Taylor's silk mill, 1860; (add.info.: Taylor's (formerly LOMBE's) silk mill, Derby. This was the first water-powered textile mill to be built in England (ca 1720)

Sir Thomas Lombe's silk mill, 1835
3480178 Sir Thomas Lombe's silk mill, 1835; (add.info.: Sir Thomas Lombe's silk mill on the river Derwent at Derby)

La Suppression de L'Industrie Francaise; la destruction au Marteau des metiers du tissage... 1917. Creator: Unknown
La Suppression de L'Industrie Francaise; la destruction au Marteau des metiers du tissage cattelain, a Boussieres, en juin 1917, 1917

Flax-beating at Tidsvilde, Själland, 1887. Creator: Julius Paulsen
Flax-beating at Tidsvilde, Sjalland, 1887

Preston, Lancashire, 1862. Creator: Unknown
Preston, Lancashire, 1862. The pure mountain air, and the full, strong sea-breeze, come laden with health to its people, and do their best to neutralise the effect of the smoke belched forth from

Shilling Day at the International Exhibition, 1862. Creator: Mason Jackson
Shilling Day at the International Exhibition, 1862. The International Exhibition of 1862 was a world's fair held in South Kensington, London

Interior of a Power-Loom factory, 1844. Creator: Unknown
Interior of a Power-Loom factory, 1844. We are persuaded that the annexed engraving will be interesting to our readers, in connection with the great question of " The Factory Bill

Love Conquered Fear, c1840. Creator: Auguste Hervieu
Love Conquered Fear, c1840. Ragged child workers in a Victorian textile factory. British writer Frances Trollope visited Manchester in 1832 to witness the condition of children employed in

How The Early Spinning Jenny Worked, c1934. Illustration showing the machine for spinning cotton, invented in 1764 by James Hargreaves. The accompanying text explains the mechanism

Love Conquered Fear, 1840. Michael Armstrong, adopted by a mill owner, embracing his brother Edward who is one of the ragged factory boys working amongst the spinning mules

Bessbrook Mills and village, County Armagh, Ireland, c1880. The model village of Bessbrook was founded in 1845. It surrounded a large linen mill owned by the Richardsons, a Quaker family

Bolting Cloth Factory OFH01_01_02_022
Blackmore's Bolting Cloth Factory, Frogmore, Wandsworth, Wandsworth, Greater London. The front elevation of Blackmore's bolting cloth factory and adjacent houses at the corner of Frogmore

Rejected iron pillar DP289889
Torr Vale Mill, Torrvale Road, New Mills, High Peak, Derbyshire. Detail of an iron pillar on the top-floor of Torr Vale Mill, with a label stuck to it marked REJECT

Sowerby Bridge 33929_008
Sowerby Bridge, Calderdale, West Yorkshire, 2020

Women Working Despite Being Heavily Pregnant, at Globe Cotton Mill, Augusta, Georgia, pub
3025346 Women Working Despite Being Heavily Pregnant, at Globe Cotton Mill, Augusta, Georgia, pub. 1909 (photogravure) by Hine

Quarry Bank Mill in Styal, Cheshire, 1973

New England Factory Life - Bell-Time, published 1868. Creator: Winslow Homer
New England Factory Life - Bell-Time, published 1868

Flax Scutching Bee, 1885. Creator: Linton Park
Flax Scutching Bee, 1885

U. S. Thread Company Mills, Willimantic, Connecticut, c. 1893 / 1897
U.S. Thread Company Mills, Willimantic, Connecticut, c. 1893/1897

Lace Manufactory, Tiverton, c1836, (1943). Creator: Unknown
Lace Manufactory, Tiverton, c1836, (1943). Heathcoats Lace Manufactory at Tiverton in Devon, opened in 1816. From " English Cities and Small Towns", by John Betjeman. [Collins, London, 1943]

Spinning room, c1776, (1943). Creator: Gabriel de Saint-Aubin
Spinning room, c1776, (1943). Spinners using two-handed spinning wheels in the establishment of a Monsieur de Berniere. Drawing in the Ecole de Beaux-Arts, Paris

Cromptons Wonderful Spinning Mule, c1934. Illustration showing the spinning mule, invented between 1775 and 1779 by Samuel Crompton to spin cotton and other fibres

A Weaving-shed, c1917. From How It is Made, by Archibald Williams. [Thomas Nelson and Sons, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and New York]

General View of Spinning-room, c1917. From How It is Made, by Archibald Williams. [Thomas Nelson and Sons, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and New York]

Women using spinning wheels, Bethnal Green, London, 1908
Women using spinning wheels, 13 Archer Street, Bethnal Green, London, 1908. Archer Street was once sited at the south end of Pott Street, off the east end of Bethnal Green Road

Cotton manufacture, c1845. An adult hand with a boy assistant, forming cotton into laps so that it could be put into the carding machine in a uniform amounts

The mill at Saltaire, c1880. Sir Titus Salt (1803-1876) discovered a method of blending alpaca wool with cotton and silk. He is best remembered as the builder of Saltaire Mill near Bradford

The Jute Mills of the Cia. Nacional de Tecidos de Juta, 1914. Fabrica Sant Anna, State of Sao Paulo. From The Beautiful Rio De Janeiro by Alured Gray Bell. [William Heinemann, London, 1914]

Woman using a Spinning Jenny, c1880. The Spinning Jenny was invented by James Hargreaves (c1720-1778) in 1764. On his original machine

Finishing Roving Frame, by Platt, Brothers & Co. Oldham, 1874. Artist: GB Smith
Finishing Roving Frame, by Platt, Brothers & Co. Oldham, 1874. The Roving Frame winds spindles with thread. Platt Bros & Co manufactured textile machinery and by the end of the 19th century

Drawing Frame, by Platt, Brothers & Co. Oldham, 1874. Artist: GB Smith
Drawing Frame, by Platt, Brothers & Co. Oldham, 1874. Textile machinery, the drawing frame is located in the spinning process

Self-Acting Mule. Sharp & Roberts Principle, by P. MacGregor, Manchester, 1874. Artist: GB Smith
Self-Acting Mule.-Sharp & Roberts Principle, by P. MacGregor, Manchester, 1874. Richard Roberts (1789-1864) was a British patternmaker

Self Stripping Carding Engine, by Dobson and Barlow Bolton, 1874. Artist: GB Smith
Self Stripping Carding Engine, by Dobson and Barlow Bolton, 1874. A cotton spinning machine invented during the Industrial Revolution, the carding engine transformed raw cotton into cotton lap

Weaving linen fabric, Montreal, Canada, early 20th century. Artist: Keystone View Company
Weaving linen fabric, Montreal, Canada, early 20th century. Stereoscopic card. Detail

General view of a large printing room in a cotton mill, Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA, 20th century. Stereoscopic card. Detail

Doubling frame in a large woollen mill, Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA, early 20th century(?). Stereoscopic card. Detail

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"Exploring the Rich History of Textile Mills: From Old Wool Mills to Armley Mills Leeds" Step back in time and discover the fascinating world of textile mills, where innovation and craftsmanship converged. Located west of the city, specifically in the Manningham area of Bradford, these old wool mills stood as iconic symbols of industrial prowess. The Burnley Weavers Triangle DES01_01_0212 captures a glimpse into this era, showcasing the intricate machinery that powered these bustling factories. Traveling across continents and centuries, we delve into American textile mills from the 1800s through cloth labels that bear witness to their legacy. These labels tell stories woven with threads of hard work and dedication. Innovation took center stage with inventions like the Jacquard loom in the 1880s, revolutionizing fabric production by introducing complex patterns previously unimaginable. Witnessing cotton printing at Merton Abbey Works around c1884 transports us to an era when vibrant colors adorned fabrics under unknown creators' skilled hands. Not limited to cotton alone, Hammersmith Carpet Weaving at Merton Abbey Works showcases another facet of textile manufacturing's diversity—a testament to human creativity meeting practicality. The journey continues with a line engraving depicting mule spinning in a cotton textile mill from 1834—an arduous process carried out by dedicated workers who shaped history one thread at a time. Wool sorters captured in c1880 photographs remind us that every aspect was meticulously attended to ensure quality products reached consumers' hands. Venturing further north brings us to Saltaire works around c1880—a grand establishment built on philanthropy—where workers found solace amidst towering chimneys while contributing their skills towards creating textiles that would stand the test of time. Across borders lies New Lanark Mills in Scotland circa 1815—a utopian vision realized by Robert Owen where labor conditions were improved for workers while maintaining productivity levels high—an inspiring model still relevant today.