Title
Williamson Brothers Fabric Swatch Books
Reference
YA1999.32
Production date
1820 - 1850
Creator
Scope and Content
Collection of fabric swatches of bold printed dress cottons in Turkey red, mustard, green, blue and ivory colours in various naturalistic and geometric designs in diagonal strips and serpentine foliate chains. It is believed that the swatches were purchased on behalf of Williamson Brothers by Robert Barbour acting as Commissioning agents.
Extent
4 items
Physical description
Good
Language
English
Archival history
Provenance unknown prior to being purchased at a sale of selected textiles, fans and swatch books held at Bonhams, Chelsea on 27 October 1998.
Level of description
TOP
Repository name
Science and Industry Museum
Associated people and organisations
- Robert Barbour & Brother LtdBiographyBiography
Robert Barbour moved from Glasgow to Manchester in 1815 and established his cotton trading company Robert Barbour and Brothers Ltd the same year.
By the late 19th century, Charles Augustus Stewart, Charles Stewart, George Beatson Blair and John McMillan Dunlop ran the business as agents and cotton merchants.
George Beatson Blair remained a director of the company, with his brothers James and Alexander, until his death in 1940. By 1946, Thos G Hill & Co Ltd of Manchester, merchants and converters, owned Robert Barbour and Brothers Ltd.
- Williamson BrothersBiographyBiography
Williamson Brothers was a textile merchant company based in Kolkata, (Calcutta) India. Robert Cochrane Williamson formed a partnership with a man named Herriott, who left the business shortly afterwards in 1854. Mr Williamson became the sole proprietor until 1855 when his younger brother, Mr Andrew Williamson joined the company in 1860 followed by Mr Robert Cowan and William Craik in 1868. Mr Cowan left the business in 1870.
Conditions governing access
Open access.
Conditions governing Reproduction
Copies may be supplied in accordance with current copyright legislation and Science Museum Group terms and conditions.
