Rare, unusual and interesting antique costumes and textiles; for museums and collectors looking for that extra special piece, for new and established collectors and for those with a modest budget who want to adorn their person or home.

SOLD

Bournville School
1930's

I bought three pieces of similar fabric with one length having The Bournville School of Arts & Crafts printed on the selvedge. Clearly all were by the same hand.


Cataloguing

of Arts & Crafts printed on rayon mix fabric with a red, petrol blue and pale grey repeat, one border printed in ink with BRIT PAT 449243 *10.31 repeated three times, 17 ft 10 in x 34 in wide or 5.4 m x 87 cm wide selvedge to selvedge, the repeat 5 1/2 in or 14 cm.


Condition

Unused. Excellent. A few minor red colour runs but I think this was done when the fabric was originally printed.


Comments

On the selvedge is a patent mark BRT PAT 449243. We have traced this to fabric manufactuer Tootal Broadhurst Lee Co Ltd. My guess is a student got hold of some plain fabric woven by this firm and hand block printed it. George Cadbury was the son of tea and coffee dealer John Cadbury. At age 22 in 1861, George and his brother Richard took over his father's small business, which was based in Birmingham City Centre. The two brothers business expanded into the manufacture of pure cocoa for drinking and then chocolate bars in 1897 with Dairy Milk still being produced today. Cadbury was a Quaker and social reformer and wanted to provide decent quality homes in a healthy environment, which industrial workers could afford. In order to expand their factory the brothers built a new one four miles outside Birmingham, at Bournville. The Bournville village was planned as a garden village, with lots of open spaces and evening education for all. Bournville housing was never 'tied' to the Works and only half the inhabitants had a link with Cadury's chocolate factory. The Bournville School of Art would have been established to improve workers' lives. My informant tells me that it metamorphosised from the Ruskin Memorial Institute to the Bournville School of Arts & Crafts to Bournville School of Art to Bournville College of Art to becoming part of Birmingham Polytechic and, I may be wrong, now Bournville Centre for Visual Arts, Birmingham City University. If you have any information on this School please do contact me.