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During the first quarter of the nineteenth century, new technologies changed many traditional crafts, including weaving. The Jacquard attachment, a revolutionary device developed in France, partially mechanized the loom by using a series of punched cards that automatically controlled the warp threads. The attachment allowed weavers to create textiles with elaborate geometric and pictorial designs and enabled them to produce more textiles in less time for a growing commercial market. Reflecting the optimism of an expanding nation, coverlet weavers often used patterns with patriotic motifs and slogans, and they frequently wove their customer's name into the borders of the coverlet. | |||
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Jacquard
coverlet and pattern cards, c. 1830
Click image to enlarge. Copyright 2002 The Chicago Historical Society |
Images 12 & 13 of
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