Furnishing Fabric thumbnail 1
Furnishing Fabric thumbnail 2
Not on display

This object consists of 3 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Furnishing Fabric

1952 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Czech-born Jacqueline Groag created this pattern for David Whitehead Limited of Rawenstall, Lancashire in 1952. Formed in 1927, David Whitehead Limited had established a reputation by the 1950s for producing innovative designs, which their director, John Murray, wanted to be available to a mass market. In 1951, the company launched 'Contemporary Prints', which specialised in roller-printed patterns on spun rayon. Groag's creative use of colour and abstract shapes in this print are typical of the type of pattern which emerged from the Festival of Britain and which were quickly described as 'contemporary'. These patterns had a lasting influence on textile design in Britain throughout the 1950s, and the colourful designs were a welcome change from the dull colours used for textiles during the Second World War.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Furnishing Fabric
  • Furnishing Fabric
  • Furnishing Fabric
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Printed furnishing fabric, 1952, British; Lancashire. Designed by Jacqueline Groag for David Whitehead Ltd
Physical description
Roller printed rayon furnishing fabric with a repeating pattern of rounded rectangular shapes in red, white, black, grey, and yellow on a brown ground
Dimensions
  • CIR c.13 1953 width: 121.9cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • CIR c.13 1953 length: 198.1cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • CIR c.13 a& b 1953 width: 60.9cm (each) (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • CIR c.13 a& b 1953 length: 76.2cm (each) (Note: measurement converted from department register)
Credit line
Given by D. Whitehead Ltd.
Summary
Czech-born Jacqueline Groag created this pattern for David Whitehead Limited of Rawenstall, Lancashire in 1952. Formed in 1927, David Whitehead Limited had established a reputation by the 1950s for producing innovative designs, which their director, John Murray, wanted to be available to a mass market. In 1951, the company launched 'Contemporary Prints', which specialised in roller-printed patterns on spun rayon. Groag's creative use of colour and abstract shapes in this print are typical of the type of pattern which emerged from the Festival of Britain and which were quickly described as 'contemporary'. These patterns had a lasting influence on textile design in Britain throughout the 1950s, and the colourful designs were a welcome change from the dull colours used for textiles during the Second World War.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.13 to B-1953

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Record createdApril 5, 2005
Record URL
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