Adlib Internet Server 5

Title
File of textile design croquis, sketches, tracings and fabric samples
Reference
YA2010.77/4
Production date
1928 - 1935

Creator

Prince, Harry Rodwell Biography Biography
Harry Rodwell Prince was born in Watersheddings, Oldham on 7 October 1912. He was the only child of Arthur and Sarah Ellen Prince. His father worked as a foreman engineer at Mather & Platt Limited. At the age of 11, Prince won a scholarship to the Oldham Municipal Secondary School, a selective secondary school providing technical education. While attending Oldham Municipal Secondary School, his creative ability was recognised. In 1928, Prince was awarded a scholarship for a full course of instruction in black and white and poster drawing via correspondence course with the British and Dominions School of Drawing. The scholarship provided Prince with a special concessionary rate, which his parents paid for. At the same time, Prince began work at Headon Designs Ltd (Headons) in Fauklner Street, Manchester where he was a textile designer working on designs for the CPA, Courtaulds and Whitworth and Mitchell, among others. Prince worked alongside another textile designer, George Ainscow, for a couple of years. He met his wife, Evelyn Booth, while working at Headons. Prince left Headons in 1935 to begin work at Hopkinson's Mill, Trawden, Colne. Here he set up the mill's design studio, producing designs for shirtings. Prince married his wife Evelyn in 1939. Shortly afterwards, he joined the RAF and delivered Spitfire aircraft to active airbases during the Second World War. He returned to work at Hopkinson's Mill at the end of the war before moving to Walter Pollard (1923) Ltd in Nelson. Here, Harry and Evelyn Prince set up a design studio to produce designs for shirtings, employing two assistants. The mill closed in 1960 and Harry and Evelyn Prince began work at Moss Bros in Preston. They left Moss Bros in 1966 to open a gift shop in Morecambe. Harry Prince died in 2008.

Scope and Content
File containing textile designs at four different stages of the process of producing a textile fabric design, created by Harry Rodwell Prince while employed at Headon Designs Ltd. The designs are grouped as follows: 1. Example of a croquis (complete design sketch not in repeat) in white gouache on black sugar paper with a fabric sample showing the final design 2. Example of a croquis in black line and dots and red and orange flower in gouache with a tracing of the design 3. Example of four croquis depicting roses, only one completed in gouache 4. Example of a croquis in black line, white gouache flowers and pink and green gouache bands on pink gouache ground with a tracing of the design 5. Example of a croquis of a basket of flowers in pink, green and purple gouach with a tracing of the design 6. Example of 22 repeating designs coloured in gouache, mixture of floral and geometric designs, one tartan mounted on card marked Z.28 7. Example of 13 croquis on drawing paper coloured in gouache, mixture of flowers, birds, elephants and geometric designs 8. Example of 16 croquis on black sugar paper coloured in gouache, mixture of flowers, birds, paisley and geometric designs, plus one blank piece of black sugar paper 9. Example of 6 croquis in black gouache on drawing paper, mixture of geometric designs, leaves and a dragon 10. Example of 3 incomplete or initial croquis including primrose, sweetpea and mice 11. Example of 4 initial pencil sketches, all floral designs, plus one blank piece of drawing paper 12. Example of fabric sample from a design of cherries on a black ground 13. Example of fabric sample from a design of stylised flowers on a maroon ground
Extent
80 items
Level of description
FILE
Repository name
Science and Industry Museum
Subject
Textile arts
Textile industry
Textile art
Textile design drawings
Textile industry
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.