A remarkable record of how textile students, from the past, learnt their craft.
This print is a reproduction of the neatly handwritten notes by student Ernest Waterhouse at Bradford College between 1900-1902. The print is from Ernest Waterhouse's seventeenth lecture and describes the technique of drafting used to lay in the warp threads and create weave effects on the dobby loom shafts.
Dobby looms weave simple design effects, however with creative imagination they could produce design effects more common in a more expensive jacquard machine.
The two-year course for textile technicians and designers involved a total of 68 lectures in total.
Bradford and its Technical College, at the time, was a world leader. The International Wool exchange was based in the City and this authority controlled the world's wool crop price.
Bradford at the beginning of the 20th Century was a place to be, built upon the wealth of numerous internationally important textile Mills. Spinners, weavers and finishing companies were abundant and employment in the Mills and supporting manufacturing businesses needed a stream of quality apprentices for the various skills needed to keep the looms busy.
The original course book was purchased from Sotheby's of London in 1998.
