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Warner Textile Archive -

 

A unique record of the history of textile design and manufacture, dating from the eighteenth century.  The archive includes examples of all woven and printed fabrics produced by Warner, plus original artwork for the designs.

 

The archive is located at:

 

Warner's Mill,

Silks Way

Braintree

Essex

UK

 

Telephone (General Enquiries): 01376 557741

 

The archive is open to the general public - telephone for specific information on which days they are open.  Also ask about temporary exhibitions in their gallery space.

 

Telephone (Group Visits and Research): 01376 557803

 

 

 

 

East Anglian Stitched Textiles (EAST) are currently involved in a project, and produced a body of work based on the Warner Textile Archive in Braintree, Essex, UK.  This exhibition will be officially known as:

 

EAST @ The Warner Textile Archive

 

Each member of the group has found an object or design in the archive (see right) and has used this as the starting point for their own contemporary piece of work.

 

Each artist has produced not only a finished article, but also a sketchbook showing how their design has developed.

 

EAST launched the exhibition at the Knitting and Stitching shows in 2009 at London and Harrogate

 

Visit the Gallery pages for a "virtual tour" of the EAST @ The Warner Textile Exhibition. 

 

The exhibition will not be visiting any further venues in 2009, but will be travelling to the Warner Textile Archive at Braintree in October 2011 in conjunction with our TALKING TEXTILES Exhibition, which will be at the Braintree Museum from 10 September to 16 October 2010.

 

 

EAST have been supported by the Braintree Museum and District Trust.  Their sponsorship has allowed us to have information boards on each individual exhibit, as well as boards about the Archive and the EAST Group.  This exhibition is now a valuable educational and research tool for the group and the museum.  Obviously EAST give a big THANK YOU to the support given to them by the Braintree Museum and District Trust.

 

Please contact the Braintree Museum or Warner Textile Archive for information on hiring this exhibition.

 

 

Warner Textile Archive

 

The Gallery of the Warner Textile Archive is open to the public - telephone 01376 557741 for information on opening times or information on how to arrange an appointment to see the archive.

 

This unique archive of textile manufacture and design, dating from the 18th century includes examples of every woven and printed fabric produced by the Warner Company.  The archive also includes original artwork, for designs commissioned to furnish anything from ordinary homes to royal palces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each artist visited the archive and chose something for their starting point -

 

Melinda - has been inspired by a piece of 1940s fabric, screen printed in the style of a 1930s fabric.

 

Janette - has chosen an 18th century fabric that was used by Warners to inspire a new piece in the 1950s and 1990s.

 

Susan - has chosen a 1950s design by Edward Bawden (Olympus) as her inspiration.

 

Diana - has chosen a textile by the name of Ridgemont to create her work.

 

Carol - started with a 1950s textile (Painted Vases), but is also looking into other 1950s designs.

Liz - has chosen a piece of fabric from the 1960s called Stargrass.

 

Anne - has been inspired by an ethnic design from the 1970s.

 

Delia - has also been inspired by coronation fabrics, but this time from years dating from 1902.

 

Lorna - has started with a 1930s design "Convolvulus".

 

Libby - has looked at the archive shelves themselves for inspiration, in particular the gard books.

 

June - has also been inspired by the archives themselves, but also by textiles by Marianne Straub.

 

Margaret - has chosen a blue and gold textile called Marble by Bertrand Whittaker, dating from 1923. (The example below is in a different colourway.)

Julie - is using a handwoven fabric "Oelander" designed by W Folliott in 1894 as her inspiration.

 

 

 

This is just a glimpse of the EAST @ The Warner Textile Archive which has been on view at the Knitting and Stitching Shows in London and Harrogate, 2009. At the shows there was also a chance to see the sketchbooks to find out how each artist worked from the original inspiration to the finished contemporary piece.  And every day some of the artists were on hand to talk about the project.  Visit the Gallery for more images.  Or visit the exhibition when it comes to Braintree, Essex in 2010 (see above).

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