Archie Brennan is credited with bringing about a renaissance in tapestry weaving and design in Britain. He trained as an apprentice tapestry weaver at the Edinburgh Tapestry Company, subsequently known as the Dovecot Studios. In 1958 he left to study at Edinburgh College of Art, returning to the Dovecot where he became head weaver and resident designer and artistic director from 1962-1978. In 1962 Brennan also established and developed the tapestry department in Edinburgh College of Art. Brennan's work is renowned for its humorous and decorative qualities, and often focuses on a single simple form, which he refines and develops through the act of repetition. The theme of Chains was used in a series of works by Brennan. His inspiration came from a photograph of Isambard Kingdom Brunel standing before the launching chains of the 'Great Eastern' taken by Robert Howlett in 1857.