Output details
34 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
Manchester Metropolitan University
Wardle Pattern Books Revealed
The Wardle pattern books held by the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, encompass Thomas Wardle’s early work for William Morris as well as records of the hand-block and machine printed textiles of his own firm. This material is of international importance for its evidence of the development of Arts and Crafts textile design. Although much of the research for the project took place in 2006-2007, final editing and public release of the output did not take place until 2009. The objective of this project was to make this fragile set of eleven pattern books easily accessible in digital format alongside interpretive material geared to different levels of interest from general to specialist. My contribution consisted of page-by-page catalogue entries for each book, summative introductions to each of the eleven volumes and, in addition, six thematic essays. These were published by the Whitworth Art Gallery along with other essays as an internet database at http://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/collection/recentprojects/wardle/.
My essay contributions are as follows:
1. The Wardle pattern books at Whitworth Art Gallery http://issuu.com/whitworthartgallery/docs/wardle_pattern_books_at_the_whitworth
2. Wardle family companies http://issuu.com/whitworthartgallery/docs/wardle_family_companies
3. Designers Working for Wardle & Co
4. William Morris’s print cloths and finishes
5. Roller printing at Thomas Wardle’s Hencroft works
6. Historical sources of Wardle patterns
(essays 3 to 6 open directly as pdf files by clicking the link on the home page).
These interpretive essays combine evidence extracted by detailed first-hand study of the material alongside much new information from archival sources. The first three essays provide guidance and contextual information for the user, while the remaining essays open novel areas of study. The work on Morris's print cloths breaks important new ground. It demonstrates that Morris was a pioneer in seeking to achieve the appearance and drape of antique linens, shunning the harsh textures of contemporary cretonnes.
