Furnishing fabric 'Adam' of woven rayon and cotton, Keith Vaughan for Edinburgh Weavers, Carlisle, 1958

Furnishing fabric of woven rayon and cotton in a complex weave, cut top and bottom edges, loom width. Two repeats in width . Large naked figure representing Adam standing amongst stylised foliage and flowers, in black and white on speckled green ground. Strong visual effect of vertical columns with sinuous edges.

Torn remains of paper label.

Given by Sara Lee Courtaulds

From Courtaulds Design Library, group E5
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.263-2009