Page 7 - History-of-flooringLR

Did you know?
The history of King George IV’s Brighton Pavilion used to have an original

hand-knotted Axminster carpet, designed by Robert Jones
British carpets However, in 1847 it was removed by Queen Victoria and cut
and ‘planned to the room’, ie, it fitted the room exactly.
up to furnish various rooms at Buckingham Palace.

Evidence of goats and Egyptian fresco Pazyryk rug woven (discovered in Marco Polo confirms rug making in Central Anatolia. From there the
sheep being sheared of handloom ice-filled tomb, Outer Mongolia 1960). It technique spread through the Caucasus, Turkomania, Persia, Meshed, Herat,
for wool and hair and (discovered has all the characteristics of a modern Kabul, India and Kashmir. Traders took rugs to Samarkand, Bokhara,
then spun and woven. 1953). Persian or Anatolian with a pile and Tashkent, Sinkiang and Peking, the craft swept through Tunisia, Biskra, Bou
Ghiordes knot. Saada, Marakesh and Fez.
6000BC 1480BC 464BC 1000
Robert Rothe Cardinal Carpet knotting Verulam Aubusson Ardebil carpet (now in Pierre DuPont sets up weaving carpets
imports weavers Wolsey imports exhibited by carpet made carpet centre Victoria Albert Museum, in Palais Royal Paris (Jacobs suggests
from the East to Turkish rugs to Richard Hickey. for Elizabeth I. set up in London) made by Maksud 1604) moves in 1620 to soap works
make rugs on his England. Beauvair. the Keshani. ‘Savonerie’.
estate in Kilkenny.
1537 1540 1550 1570 1580 1586 1596
Inventory on Naworth Castle Carpet factory Huguenot weavers flee France, some settle in Earl of Pembroke persuades weavers from Savonnerie
mentions Kidderminster ‘Fote built at Wilton. England and start weaving in Wilton. Wilton factory to work in Wilton and teach locals to make
Cloths’. carpet weavers receive Royal Charter in 1699. Brussels carpet. (Legend has it that the Duke smuggled
the weavers out of France in wine barrels).

1619 1655 1685 1720
Pearsall & Broome set up Dufossy develops Peter Parisot sets up carpet weaving in Moore opens in Moorfield and Whitty Royal Society of Arts
in Kidderminster making method to cut loops of Paddington with two Savonnerie opens in Axminster closing in 1835 presented premiums for
New Image Services cloth. The last ‘Kidder’ a nap. This became Cumberland. He moved to larger hand knotted looms still in operation Whitty three times and
finest carpets. Won by
reversible double (Kidder) Brussels weave to make weavers, under patronage of Duke of
and looms moved to Wilton. Original
premises near the Golden Lion Inn in
at Wilton until 1957
Passavant once.
loom was dismantled in
known as Wilton
1936. carpet. Fulham.
1735 1749 1750 1755 1756-59
Hand-made carpet Brintons, Whitty makes carpet for Throne Room at Carlton House Jacquard invents Decline in fine hand-made carpets due
OFFERING A COMPLETE ENTRANCE We install products from top making flourished and previously cloth and Brighton Pavilion and supplied £1,000 carpet to method of presenting to Napoleonic War and competition
attracted designers such makers, start
Sultan of Turkey. It became the fashion to match carpets to different coloured
from machine-made. More looms
MATTING SERVICE brands, including: as the Adam Brothers making carpets. ceilings, a trend that is still followed by today’s equivalent yarn to weaving face. introduced in Kidderminster, Yorkshire
and Laverton.
of Whitty’s factory, Axminster Carpets of Devon.
and Scotland.
1770-90
1770
Including:  EMCO Three-ply fabric Industrial development in England. Whytock invents method 1790 1801 1810
James works with Quigley to perfect Spool Axminster, invented by
 Matting supply services  EMS commenced in Population increases from seven to 18 million. to print yarn and then the Chenille Axminster loom. Halcyon Skinner in America,
End of cottage industries. Industrial
Chenille expanded to meet demand introduced into England by
Kilmarnock.
weave it into flat fabric
 Coba revolution brought textile inventions by with design incorporated. for large seamless patterned carpets Tomkinson and Adam in
 Matting Installation services Hargreaves, Arkwright, Crompton. at an economic price. Kidderminster.
 Genesis
1824
1832
1750-1850
1878
1837
UK Stock & special order made
  William Gray of Ayr Brintons develop Gripper Axminster (also from Brintons produce David Crabtree, loom builders Decline in tapestry carpet in
Intramatting Systems
to measure engineered matting  develops seamless Halcyon Skinner of Yonkers) with efficiency carpet from first power since 1853, start to export favour of huge increase in
CS (Construction Specialities)
wide Gripper looms, three
Kidder carpets.
advantages over traditional spool. Later the two driven wide loom –
Gripper Axminster especially
We work with many matting manufacturers  Plastex techniques were combined in Spool-Gripper. 4.57m wide. yards or three metres wide. for ‘Seamless Squares’.
for a better service  Nuway 1880 1890 1905 1927 1930
Tufted carpets developed Chenille Axminster Tufted carpet limited to Woven carpet production Fully patterned tufted carpets produced in England by Ryalux
in USA from candlewick disappeared under plan yarn effects but declined by 70% but Carpets. Individual coloured yarns presented to substrate
weaving techniques. avalanche of tufted gradually printing white tufted production effectively for the first time. Patterned tufted carpet produced to
carpet. carpet improved. increased by 300% (UK). rival woven (Gripper Axminster and Figured Wilton) carpets.
1940-50 1960 1950-70 1970-95 1995
The evolution of carpeting has been affected by social, economical and fashion pressures. Developments in man-made fibres, loom
widths and machine efficiencies brought carpets within reach of the mass market. Fashions for seamless square and then seamless
close-cover carpet helped introduce wider looms. Investigation into thermal and acoustical requirements led to fitted carpets in
For more information - public buildings, shops and offices. Ingenious manufacturing solutions proliferated from the 1960s. Tiles, printing, warp printing,
needle punched fibres and double faced bonded carpets all increased the ability of the carpet trade to cater for specific areas, price
please contact us: points and the demands of fashion.
Source: The History of British Carpets by Bertram Jacobs (1968)
07836-622811 We would like to thank Ken Robb at FloorStars (www.floorstars.co.uk) for help with this introduction
newimage-services.co.uk The History of Flooring 7

New Image FP April 21.indd 1 09/06/2021 12:49:50