In researching new work for my exhibition in June, titled a Cut for Silk Town, I have recently been to the Silk Museum several times including a visit to their preserved working weaving shed - Paradise Mill. I have been lucky enough ti get to see behind the scenes at the Silk Museum visiting their archive for a morning a week or so ago.
This is a snap shot of Paradise Mill
The following photos are taken from sample books in the archive of the Silk Museum Macclesfield. Some samples of woven silks and some printed, some print records were kept on paper,
called a 'strike off' this would be done as the silk was expensive to test out designs on so they would be printed first on paper, and these samples made useful records of what a company had printed and for whom.