Collections
From ULITAWiki
| |
  
|  |
| Wednesday 16, May 2012 | |
Egyptian Textiles
 |
In 1907 Margaret Murray, a noted Egyptologist, donated a collection of specimens of Egyptian mummy cloths. At her suggestion Sir Flinders Petrie, who was about to unroll two 4000 year old mummies, also donated specimens of the fragments. This was augmented by a collection of Egyptian children’s clothing (comprising of two caps and six tunics), dating from the Mamluk period (1250 - 1517). These were presented to the University by the eminent Egyptologist Professor P.E. Newberry in 1933. Search the Collection. |
Fibre Collection
 |
ULITA has a substantial collection of natural and synthetic fibre samples totalling over 1000 items. The collection includes: a wide-ranging collection of man-made and natural fibres including unusual plant fibres and historically interesting cellulose and protein based man-made fibres collected and donated in the 1970s by Ralph Marsden, an employee of ICI; items from the museum formerly in the Department of Textile Industries; recent donations of fibre and fabric samples from staff in the School of Design; and a collection of 150 unusual animal hair samples donated by the Wool Industries Research Association. |
Indian Textiles
 |
The collection of Indian textiles include highly embroidered and printed 20th Century textiles and garments. The Collection includes tunics, hats, bags, puppets, cushion covers, saris and ikat cloths. Much of the collection originated from the ERS (Educational Resource Service) of the West Riding County Council. |
Indonesian Textiles
 |
The Indonesian Collection constitutes a stunning number of highly decorative batik fabrics principally from Java and a small number of woven ikats.
|
Japanese Collection
 |
The Japanese Collection, dating to the Meiji era (1868-1912), includes over two hundred stencils, used for resist printing onto textiles. In order to achieve the pattern on the surface of the fabric, a rice paste would be applied through the stencil to provide a dye resist.
|
Kashmir Shawl Collection
 |
The Kashmir Shawl Collection originated during a period around 1919-1923 with a donation of shawls by Sir Michael Sadler (1861-1943), a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds and great advocate of the arts. The collection consists of several complete shawls including three shawls from the Afghan period and ten from the Sikh period, as well as many shawl samples. Sir Michael spent the years 1917 to 1919 as Chairman of the Calcutta University Commission, and acquired a small quantity of fine Kashmiri shawls, and shawl fragments. ULITA is also fortunate to possess a number of other fine examples of Kashmiri and Paisley shawls. |
Louisa Pesel Collection
 |
Louisa Frances Pesel (1870-1947) was a distinguished scholar, practitioner and educator of the art of embroidery. Until 1907 she held the post of Director of the Royal Hellenic School of Needlework and Laces in Athens. She was elected the first president of the Embroiderers Guild of England in 1920, and appointed Mistress of Broderers of Winchester Cathedral in 1938. The Pesel Collection, bequeathed to the University of Leeds in 1947, consists of a total of over 400 embroidered items, ranging in size, stitching and provenance. The majority are of Turkish and Greek island origin, others emanate from Morocco, Algeria, Turkestan, India, Pakistan, Persia, Syria, China, and Western Europe. The collection also includes Louisa Pesel’s own samples, and also her notebooks, articles and drawings. Many of her publications are available to view in Leeds University Library. |
Marchini Collection
 |
The Marchini Collection consists of approximately 500 brightly painted designs and repeats from the mid-twentieth century, produced by Italian designer Guido Marchini whilst working in Como, Rome and London, particularly in the 1960s. |
Pakistani Textiles
 |
This substantial collection constitutes over a hundred hand-block printed and resist-patterned cottons collected in North-West Frontier Province (Pakistan) by Professor M.A. Hann in the late 1980s. Search the collection. |
Glass Photographic Plates
 |
A unique collection of 20,000 glass plate photographic slides depicting late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century textile processing equipment, textile patterning schemes and point-paper designs. The majority of these originated as a teaching resource by Professor Roberts Beaumont and Professor Aldred Barkerin the Department of Textile Industries, originally at the Yorkshire College, and later at the University of Leeds. A project is underway to produce a facsimile of the slide indexes. |
Qing Dynasty Textiles
 |
The Qing Dynasty extend from 1644 to 1911, and was the last imperial dynasty. An extensive range of decorative motifs was used to decorate textiles destined for garments or other applications. The Qing Dynasty textiles comprise of over 200 nineteenth and early-twentieth century Chinese embroideries and tapestries. Most of the collection was acquired by Professor Aldred Barker and his son during a visit to China in the 1930s; the Barker items complement others donated by textile students earlier in the twentieth century. |
Sample Pattern Books
 |
There are over 900 sample pattern books and folios containing elaborate Jacquard woven and printed silks, woollen and worsted fabrics. These were collected by Professor John Beaumont and his son Professor Roberts Beaumont in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Additional pattern books have been collected by Professor Hann. These are a major source of both British and European historic design trends. |
Tibor Reich Collection
 |
The Tibor Reich Collection consists of several thousand woven and printed textile samples designed by Tibor Reich, who studied textile technology and design at the University. In 1946 he formed a company based near Stratford-upon-Avon trading as Tibor Ltd. and set up a small weaving studio at Clifford Mill. By 1950 the company was employing forty-five weavers using both handlooms and power looms. During his long and distinguished career he designed and manufactured both woven and printed furnishing fabrics for both contract and domestic users. His list of clients included Cunard, British Airways, the Lotus car company, G-Plan and Ercol furniture.
|
Other Collections
 |
Collections listed, but not yet fully catalogued, include the Mabel Duxbury Collection of home crafts and the Woolmark pattern books. Other collections we have include the Knitting Collection and the Michael Ryder Wool Collection.
|
