Jacquard weaving

All of the tapestries available on this site are Jacquard woven. Joseph-Marie Jacquard invented the Jacquard loom in 1804 in Flanders and it was not only a great success in his lifetime, but remains the staple of modern tapestry manufacturing to this day.

The Jacquard loom

A Jacquard loom is a mechanical loom invented by Joseph-Marie Jacquard in the early 19th century. It uses a series of punch cards to control the weaving of patterns. Prior to the Jacquard loom weaving was a labor intensive process that relied on experienced professionals to produce even straightforward textile designs. The introduction of the Jacquard loom allowed weavers to concentrate more on the quality of designs produced, and standardized the quality of the weaving itself. This effectively mechanized the production of tapestries and textiles.

The process uses punch cards that control a sequence of movements that would ordinarily be accomplished by hand. Although tapestry weaving is a complex process, there is a great deal of repetition in terms of looping threads. The threads taken together make up a weft, with individual threads lying above or below the weft, making a discernible pattern. The Jacquard loom automated this process - the position of individual threads - thus removing much of the time consuming repetition.

Punch cards

The punch cards have holes through which a hook can pass, determining whether the thread lies above or below the weft. Therefore the cards themselves are used to control the pattern. Most importantly the cards can be reused, allowing a degree of standardization in designs and patterns.

In many respects the Jacquard loom was a precursor to later machines that were more adept than humans at repetitive tasks, ultimately leading to the modern computer. The Jacquard loom itself does not compute, however the (human controlled) punch cards mean the information to make a given tapestry is "stored" in the punch cards, allowing the same loom, and the same human weaver, the opportunity to weave any tapestry. More importantly it took weaving from the domain of expensive experts to the world of mass production, at least by the standards of the 19th century.

It is important to stress that the punch card system used in a Jacquard loom controls the weaving process, not the design. In addition the natural variations in all textiles mean that no two tapestries are ever the same. This is one of the many reasons tapestry wall hangings are valued as much as they are - even today, using modern weaving techniques, each is a unique piece of art distinct from all others.

Modern Jacquard looms

Modern Jacquard looms have taken this process further by using computers to store the information for a tapestry design, removing the need for punch cards. However the principle is identical to Jacquard's own loom from 200 years ago.

Joseph-Marie Jacquard

Joseph-Marie Jacquard (1752-1834)

Jacquard was born at Lyon, France on July 7th 1752. After the death of his father, a weaver, he inherited two looms, which he used to start a weaving business. This fared poorly and he was forced to move to Bresse taking work as a lime burner, while his wife stayed at Lyon.

He took part in the defense of Lyon in 1793 after which he was employed in a factory, and used his spare time to construct an improved loom based on ideas he had developed over the years.

His completed invention was shown at the industrial exhibition at Paris in 1801 and in 1803 he traveled to Paris to work for the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers. The many improvements in weaving offered by the loom ensured its general adoption by weavers and by 1812 there were 11,000 looms in use in France. The loom was declared public property in 1806 and Jacquard was rewarded with a pension as well as a royalty on each machine.

Joseph-Marie Jacquard died at Oullins (Rhóne) on August 7, 1834, and in 1840 a statue was erected to him at his birthplace, Lyon.

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