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CLASS XIX.
REPORT OX TAPESTRY, INCLUDING CARPETS, FLOOR-CLOTHS, See.,LACE, FANCY EMBROIDERY, AND INDUSTRIAL WORKS.
[The figures after the Names (between parentheses) refer to the Exhibitors’ Numbers and to the Pages in theOfficial Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue.]
Dr. Pompetus Bolley, Chairman, Switzerland ; Commissioner.
Peter Graham, Deputy Chairman, 37 Oxford Street; Carpet Manufacturer.
Kiciiard Birkin, Reporter, Nottingham ; Lace Manufacturer.
D. Biddle, 81 Oxford Street; Laccinan.
Tiiomas Simcox Lea, .1. P., Astley Hall, Stourport; retired Carpet Manufacturer.
Robert Lindsay, Belfast ; Sewed and Embroidered Muslin Manufacturer.
Francois A. "Washer, Belgium; Merchant at Brussels .
M. Ellisen, Frankfort-on-thc-Maine ; Merchant. (Proxy for M. Falk, Zollvcrein;Manufacturer.)
Felix Aubray, Paris; Merchant. (Proxy for M. Laincl, France ; Inspector ofManufactures ; Member of Central Jury.)
The Jury appointed by the Royal Commissioners forClass XIX. having completed their inspection of thevarious articles, and awarded the prizes placed at theirdisposal, beg to append to their awards some facts andobservations relative to the rise, progress, and presentcondition of the branches of industry that have comemore immediately under their notice.
The Jury are of opinion that the products included inClass XIX., from many countries, are more numerous andvarious, and differ more widely in price, than those com-prised in any other Class. Their task has, consequently,been oue of much labour and difficulty, having occupiedtwo months of unceasing attention in seekiug out andexamining everything said to belong to this Class (thegoods from foreign countries not being classified in theCatalogue), and in many cases having to seek for themin other Classes, being most anxious that no omission ontheir part should lie made, and that ample justice shouldbe done to the Exhibitors.
The great variety of products before referred to willaccount for what may at first sight appear too great adegree of liberality in the awards.
In deciding upon the merits of the articles exhibited,they have taken into consideration novelty of invention,novelty and beauty of design, excellence of manufactureor execution, cheapness, durability, and usefulness.
They have recompensed those Exhibitors who havedisplayed one or other of those qualities by HonourableMention, and have awarded Medals to those who, in theirproductions, have combined several of them.
The Council of Chairmen having confirmed the recom-mendation of a Council Medal in the case where thefabric was new, and of great beauty and utility, but notin those cases where great beauty of design was united withthe highest degree of excellence in execution, and applied toarticles of commercial importance: the names of thoseExhibitors whose productions were peculiarly distiu-gnished are referred to in the Keport.
Having made these preliminary remarks, the Juryproceed with their observations upon the various branchesof industry that have come under their notice.
Bobbin-Net Machinery. —Nottingham , long celebratedfor her machine-made lace, has, on this occasion, fur-nished indubitable proofs that her manufacturers andartizans have been progressing in the same ratio as those Iin most other branches of industry, during the last half- Icentury. Fifty years ago, lace made by machinery was Imostly from the point-net and warp-machines (both
modifications of tlie original stocking-frame); since thatperiod, there have been incredible sums of money ex-pended, many valuable lives sacrificed by intense study,hundreds of patents taken out, and nearly as many differ-ently-constructed machines built for the production ofplain and ornamental lace of every description. It hasbeen matter of astonishment to see how quickly oueinventor has succeeded another, and by simplifying ormodifying his machines rendered useless those of hispredecessor. It may be stated, that in none of the textilefabrics have there been so many combinations of ma-chinery used to effect the purpose as in the making oflace, commencing with the stocking-frame, to which wasadded a Tickler machine, then the point-net macliim 1 ,warp machine, Mechlin plait machine, and many others.All of these (except the warp machinedisappeared forthe purpose of making lace when the bobbin-net machinewas introduced, and its capabilities for making both plainand ornamental lace became developed. The bobbin-netmachine is so called from the thread that makes the lacebeing partly supplied from bobbins, and partly from awarp, the bobbins being made to pass from front to back,and back to front, while a lateral motion is imparted tothe warp threads, thus causing one series of threads towrap round the other. After innumerable attempts tomake bobbin-lace, the first successful machine was madeand patented by John Heathcoat, in 1809. This machine,although novel in its construction, and the first enablingone series of threads to pass round the other, was complexin its arrangements, and required sixty motions to com-plete one hole, the same being now made with six. '1 hecost, also, of the production was such as to circumscribeits use, for we find in IS 15, when the machines of thisdescription had increased to 140, one square yard of theproduce was worth 30s.; the same quantity can now hepurchased for threepence.
But so rapidly, from this period, did the machineryincrease and trade extend, that in 1831 the capital em-ployed in the bobbin-net trade, from careful inquiries ma ieby' a townsman, AV. Felkin, Esq., was 2,310,000/., givingpermanent employment to 211,000 persons. It is desirableto state that, up* to this time, little less than plain netand quillings had been produced by the bobbin-net ma-chine. After repeated efforts on the Leaver, circular,pusher, and traverse warp machines, in 1831 and 1S32,plans were adopted to purl and bullet-hole the edges ofnarrow laces, finishing them afterwards with a gimp-thread with the needle ; the same was done on the pushermachine, and shortly after on the circular. The rapiditywith which uew r articles were brought out, first by one