Silk Museum prepares to open a bespoke Jacquard Studio to showcase rare pattern books

New exhibition for Silk Museum as it prepares to open a bespoke Jacquard Studio to showcase rare pattern book collection.

A new Jacquard Studio will open this summer at the Silk Museum in Macclesfield. The bespoke space is being created to display the museum’s unrivalled collection of pattern books in environmentally suitable conditions. Alongside the books, items relating to the Cartwright and Sheldon archive will also be on display for the first time. Cartwright and Sheldon were the last owners of grade II listed Paradise Mill, which is now part of the museum.

The pattern books are from many of the silk mills that existed across the region and show the detailed designs that were created here. They are filled with samples of textiles and designs. Many feature scenes including animals and landscapes, as well as the more traditional patterns such as paisley and the striking Macclesfield Stripe. They are a record spanning over a hundred years documenting the designs created in Macclesfield for the textile industry.

The Cartwright and Sheldon archive contains materials from the last two families that ran Paradise Mill from 1912 until it closed in 1981, before it became part of the museum. The archive has been described by conservators and academics as a ‘unique social history resource’.

The Jacquard Studio will provide a new custom-designed space for people to see these unique items on display for the first time. The Silk Museum is in the original purpose-built School of Art, in Macclesfield which was established to train designers to meet the high demand for luxury silk products with exceptional designs for a global market. The new Jacquard Studio will be located in the museum, funded by:   National Heritage Memorial Fund, Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Fund and The Pilgrim Trust, and project managed by Creative Heritage Limited.

Director Emma Anderson says: “This is such as exciting development for the museum. For the first time we will be able to display this significant collection. It will help visitors to understand our whole collection and really shine a light on the importance that Macclesfield held as a centre for silk and textile design and production over hundreds of years.

“We have a unique visitor experience with Paradise Mill – a working museum with new designs being woven on the original looms. With the opening of the Jacquard Studio, you can now see the whole design process including these incredible patterns books.”

The collection is noteworthy and, the iconic fashion designer, Dame Zandra Rhodes, DBE, visited a few months ago and showed great interest in the pattern books.

Alongside the new studio an exhibition programme will launch in February with a packed programme of talks and workshops dedicated to celebrating pattern design.

Opening on February 12th, PATTERN will introduce visitors to the silk pattern books. The exhibition will also look at the conservation work happening at the museum led by Mark Furness, a senior conservator, who works with John Rylands Research Institute and Library, part of the University of Manchester.

Mark has been working to assess the collection of pattern books for any damage. This involved looking at hundreds of books checking for issues such as red rot, which is caused by external pollution affecting the leather covers creating a red dust.

Mark is also weighing the books as they are large and heavy, with some weighing in at 16 kilos. This is all important as when the books are on display or in store, the studio need to be able to take the weight of this collection.

Mark says: “Conservation techniques work on the theory of minimum intervention. We aren’t looking to hide or reverse the ageing process of what happens to an item. The books have a history and signs of use. It is about getting the balance of making sure that they are stable and still accessible in the future and that they can be enjoyed for years to come.”

Visitors will be able to take part in a series of special events to accompany the exhibition including a series of artist-led workshops, providing opportunities to use the original blocks used to create patterns on textiles.  Should the conservation work interest you, Mark is giving a talk about his work on Saturday 22nd February.

A special pattern tour of Paradise Mill led by the designers and weavers in residence, Bea Uprichard and Ruth Farris, is also taking place on Saturday February 15th.

Dr Philip Sykas from Manchester Metropolitan University and the author of The Secret Life of Textiles: Six Pattern Book Archives in Northwest England, will lead a talk about the collection that came from Langley Print Works Archive on Wednesday February 19th.

To see the full programme and book please visit the website www.silkmuseum.co.uk

Listings

PATTERN the exhibition opens on Wednesday February 12th and runs until the 23rd.  The exhibition is free.

Special Pattern Tour of Paradise Mill: Saturday February 15th at different times during the day.

Dr Philip Sykas talk is on Wednesday February 19th from 3pm until 4pm.

Mark Furness talk is on Saturday February 22nd from 3 pm until 4 pm.

Ruth Lear art workshop, ‘Silk Painting’, is taking place on Monday 17th February from 10.30 – 4.30.