The original point paper design, ref ESS 1624, was created in March 1976 for furnishing fabric by the UK weaver E&S Smith of Bradford. The design was drawn by Keith Wilkinson, a design technician at Bentley Walbank, a nearby design house in Bingley. Wilkinson meticulously drafted the original point paper in its ½ repeat, a hallmark of traditional textile design precision.
For those fascinated by weave technology, the technical setup featured two sections of point paper — one for Jacquard machine 1 and another for machine 2. Each loom was set with 400 pattern ends, using a warp of alternating end-and-end colours. The design incorporated 100 weft thread cards, which were read and hand-cut by technicians Susan and Denise. Each technician spent about half an hour perforating their section of loom cards.
Once completed, these cut cards were duplicated using a quick repeater machine, and the sections were carefully sewn together to form a continuous chain of perforated cards. This chain guided the Jacquard loom, translating the intricate paper design into woven fabric.
These ingenious, time-saving techniques — the "slow tech" of their day — quietly powered the mills, blending artistry with engineering. Today, they stand as a testament to the craft, innovation, and beauty of textile history. We hope you enjoy joining us in celebrating this Art from Textile History.
