Textile artefacts go on sale
A SET of Victorian textile sample books from a Macclesfield mill are expected to fetch up to £8,000 at auction.
The 130-year-old books were created for Sutton Mills, bought by J & F Jackson Silk Manufacturers, to show off the range of samples and weaving techniques available. Each of the leather bound books, which date back to 1885, include hand drawn design sketches and display all types of weaving techniques and design processes, as well as the fabrics used, with information on weavers, pattern and design numbers. They also include samples for silk scarfs and mufflers, including the 1897 Victorian Diamond Jubilee.
Angus Ashworth, the owner of Ryedale Auctioneers in North Yorkshire, which is auctioning the books, said it is a ‘superb’ collection which he expects to sell for between £5,000 - £8,000. He said: “These items have been brought into us by a vendor who now resides in France and after moving these extremely large and heavy books around with him through several moves, has finally decided to let them go.
“They have come through his family so as far as we know they have not been seen before.”