Furnishing fabric, woven, British, 1893, A.H. Lee & Sons, iris design, double cloth

Given by Sara Lee Courtaulds

From Courtaulds Design Library, group F2. The Courtaulds Design Library principally contained records from the 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.

Museum label: "Lee see Jacquards Outside No 1 / MUSEUM & LIBRARY / AM7 / MORTON SUNDOUR FABRICS LTD., CARLISLE / NUMBER 4108 / CASE 18 / SHELF 1 / DATE AND ORIGIN OF ACQUISITION: 1893 / 1890/1900 DARVEL / DESCRIPTION: (see wallpaper design) / 18 / V&A sayit is a Lee fabric / NOT WOVEN BY A. M & CO."

T.1316-2018