woven, British, 1930s-40s, Hilda Durkin for Edinburgh Weavers,"Fisherman's Tale", design of fish and boats in white on red ground, 2 colourways attached

Woven cotton, machine-sewn top and bottom edges, two selvedges. Textured, with design of boats and fish in white on red ground. Reversible, with opposite colours: design in red on white ground. Woven EW label : "Quality Fisherman's Tale / Pattern 0356/Colour 10/Width 50" and written on reverse: "23/6+". 2 colourways attached, in blue (labelled "Colour No. 50") and yellow-green (labelled "Colour No. 30").

Given by Sara Lee Courtaulds

From Courtaulds Design Library, group E4
The Courtaulds Design Library principally contained records from Courtaulds’ factories at Halstead and Bocking, Essex, and Halifax, and the large collection that came into Courtaulds’ possession through its acquisition of Morton Sundour and Edinburgh Weavers in 1963. The library was used by designers within Courtaulds and was also available for the use of Courtaulds’ customers. Following the acquisition of Courtaulds by the international corporation Sara Lee and the subsequent change in the business it was decided that the V&A would be the most appropriate location for the collection to enable it to be appreciated and used more fully. The Library was donated to the V&A by Sara Lee Courtaulds in 2001.

Edinburgh Weavers was founded in 1928 by the textile manufacturer James Morton (1867-1943) as an experimental design and marketing unit of Morton Sundour Fabrics. Originally based in Edinburgh, the firm merged with Morton Sundour Fabrics' weaving factory in Carlisle in 1931. They achieved success in the UK and US under the enlightened directorship of Alastair Morton (1910-63), who commissioned freelance designers and artists to produce work for interpretation as printed and woven fabrics. Following Alastair Morton's death, Edinburgh Weavers was taken over by Courtaulds in 1963.

T.216-2009