The Crutchley Archive: red colours on wool fabrics from master dyers, London 1716-1744

Quye, A. , Cardon, D. and Balfour Paul, J. (2020) The Crutchley Archive: red colours on wool fabrics from master dyers, London 1716-1744. Textile History, 51(2), pp. 119-166. (doi: 10.1080/00404969.2020.1799731)

Abstract

The Crutchley Archive is a rare book collection with over a thousand dyeing instructions and colourful dyed patterns from an eighteenth-century wool fabric dyeing business in Southwark, London, owned by John Crutchley and his family. Our research of the outstandingly detailed dyeing materials and methods by text study, dyed textile history, dye analysis and colorimetry reveals unprecedented insight for ‘in grain’ and ‘out of grain’ dyeing of medium to high quality wool fabric using cochineal, stick lac, madder and other dyes, and shows the dyers to be skilled colourists. Other novel discoveries are instructions translated from Flemish or Old Dutch into English, a range of dyed patterns with broadcloth ‘lists’ (distinctive selvedges) and monogrammed dyeing calculations. Customer cash transactions were from 5s to £2,586. This research has resulted in UNESCO Memory of the World Programme recognition of the Crutchley Archive as significant documentary heritage for UK textile history.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This research was funded by The Textile Conservation Foundation and Worshipful Company of Dyers and is gratefully acknowledged.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Quye, Professor Anita
• Authors: Quye, A., Cardon, D., and Balfour Paul, J.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > History of Art
• Journal Name: Textile History
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 0040-4969
• ISSN (Online): 1743-2952
• Published Online: 14 September 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 Pasold Research Fund Ltd
• First Published: First published in Textile History 51(2): 119-166
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy