jacquard-woven cotton, rayon and chenille, British, Edinburgh Weavers, 1936, "Dundrennan", circular motif of curves surrounded by finer curves, beige and cream on blue, with 4 colourways attached

Woven cotton and rayon, machine sewn three edges, one selvedge. Circular motif of curves surrounded by finer curves, beige and cream on blue. Paper label attached: "Sundour/reg. USA no 74524/W623 spec. Dundrennan". Also Morton Sundour Museum and Library label : "number 6109/date of acquisition 1959/description E.W. Dundrennan". 4 colourways attached : brown (attached label W624), red (W620), green (W622), light brown (W621).

Given by Sara Lee Courtaulds

From Courtaulds Design Library, group F3
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.299-2009