Textiles on Film

Textiles on Film
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Textiles on Film
From cotton reels to reels of film: with its restless looms, vibrant colours and rich textures, Britain's textiles industry offers cinematic pleasures by the yard.
Much of Britain's history is woven around textiles. Wool production drove UK trade from the middle ages, while it was British textiles that kickstarted the industrial revolution, with great cotton and silk mills dominating the Lancashire landscape. Well into the 20th century Britain's textile industry was a world giant, though competition, changing technologies and new synthetic fabrics all left their mark. This collection of films, spanning almost a century, charts those changes and explores the endlessly versatile uses of textiles, offering potent history, visual splendour, glamour and, yes, just a hint of kitsch.
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Currently unavailable
Caefelin Laundry, Llangollen
Caefelin Laundry, Llangollen
Home movie
1937
20
mins
Silent
Location: Llangollen
Nellie Boote's laundry in Market Street in operation, the women dashing away with all manner of smoothing irons as clothes are sorted, mended, washed, ironed and sorted again.
Currently unavailable
For Sheer Perfection
For Sheer Perfection
Documentary
1965
24
mins
Location: Langley Mill
A mile of yarn and a million loops to make one stocking: the culmination of a four hundred year old craft.
Currently unavailable
Paper Fashion
Paper Fashion
News
1967
mins
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
Fashion doesnt grow on treesor does it! Tyne Tees TV was bang on-trend with this brilliant news feature on the hip 1960s cult for a disposable age - paper fashion.
Currently unavailable
Fancy Yarn Production
Fancy Yarn Production
Industry sponsored film
1971
23
mins
Location: Greengates
Twisted yarns and empty spindles, everything from Bouclé to Slub yarn, from beginning to end, and all, in the end, displayed on a ‘normal’ model in typical 1970s fashion.
Film: Working to a Pattern
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Working to a Pattern
Working to a Pattern
Documentary
1980
32
mins
Rag trade revival or sweatshops? In the back streets of Brick Lane, Bangladeshi machinists sew 70s fashions
Currently unavailable
Winter Fashions have been Modelled in a Park in Exmouth
Winter Fashions have been Modelled in a Park in Exmouth
Current affairs
1977
mins
Silent
Location: Exmouth
Wearing Fur gets Hairy
Currently unavailable
Platt Bros and Co. Ltd - Textile Machinists
Platt Bros and Co. Ltd - Textile Machinists
Promotional
1925
21
mins
Silent
Location: Werneth
The manufacture of textile machinery in Oldham - men make the machines that produce the cloth.
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Lancashire Hotpot
Lancashire Hotpot
Drama
1949
10
mins
Location: Bolton
WWII offered new career opportunities for women, but not all men were happy about it…
Currently unavailable
Focus on Knitwear
Focus on Knitwear
Industry sponsored film
1966
21
mins
Location: Sherwood
From socks and vests to fancy knitted sportswear, Meridian Ltd aim to clothe the nation from the region where the industry was born.
Currently unavailable
Antique Lace Machines
Antique Lace Machines
News
1976
mins
Location: Chilwell
The dawn of the Industrial Revolution lives on in Nottinghamshire. Ancient hand knitting machines produce lace work that cannot be matched by twentieth century automation.
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Workers Leaving Textile Factory in Patricroft (1901)
Workers Leaving Textile Factory in Patricroft (1901)
Non-Fiction
1900
mins
Silent
Grinning textile workers head through the factory gates, another shift completed.
Currently unavailable
Durham Carpets
Durham Carpets
Documentary
1978
24
mins
Location: Durham
The warp, the weft, and a good old yarn! Hugh Mackays display an explosion of colourful 1970s carpet designs in Durham.
Currently unavailable
So It all Comes out Super in the Wash
So It all Comes out Super in the Wash
Training film/TV programme
1972
18
mins
Are you being served? A bewildered shop girl gets a boutique introduction to an innovative fabric.
Watch for free
From Wool to Wearer
From Wool to Wearer
Promotional
1913
17
mins
Silent
Location: Hawick
"The romance of Pesco underwear," as produced by Peter Scott Knitwear (aka Pesco), in Hawick.
Currently unavailable
Back to Back
Back to Back
Promotional
1961
18
mins
Location: Leek
Have you ever wondered how dad's distinctive cardigan was made? This colourful industrial film shows how the Co-op's Nelson Mills in Staffordshire does it.
Currently unavailable
The George Saxon Engine, Magnet Mill
The George Saxon Engine, Magnet Mill
Documentary
1966
mins
Location: Chadderton
See how steam powered the textile industry of Lancashire.
Currently unavailable
Warp and Woof
Warp and Woof
Documentary
1975
26
mins
Location: Ruddington
The industrial Midlands pioneered textile production; from the framework knitters of Nottinghamshire to the birth of the modern factory in the Derwent valley in Derbyshire.
Currently unavailable
Knitwear Workers Protest March
Knitwear Workers Protest March
News
1981
mins
Location: Nottingham
This 'Buy British' clothing campaign is more than patriotism, it's the last line of defence for an industry facing extinction.
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London Line No. 373
London Line No. 373
Cinemagazine
1971
15
mins
Silent
Location: Westminster
A Ghanaian fashion student and a Nigerian squash player are among the African community making a life in 70s Britain in this edition of the magazine show.
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All about Witney Blankets
All about Witney Blankets
Industry sponsored film
1919
15
mins
Silent
Location: Witney
Blanket advertising in this promotional film for Witney's celebrated woollen ware.
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Two Lancashire Cotton Workers Discuss Safeguarding
Two Lancashire Cotton Workers Discuss Safeguarding
Party political broadcast
1935
mins
Location: Oldham
Not a politician in sight in this clever Conservative election campaign film.
Currently unavailable
Maxi-dress fashion on Plymouth's Barbican
Maxi-dress fashion on Plymouth's Barbican
Current affairs
1976
mins
Location: Plymouth
Maxi Ways to Dress
Currently unavailable
Here We Come to Learn a Trade
Here We Come to Learn a Trade
Industry sponsored film
1958
25
mins
Location: Bradford
Slow fashion offers career opportunities for the youth of Yorkshire
Currently unavailable
Cotton Spinning at Osborne Mill, Oldham
Cotton Spinning at Osborne Mill, Oldham
Documentary
1971
13
mins
Silent
Location: Chadderton
A close look at the spinning mule - a vital cog in the workings of the Lancashire cotton industry.
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Masculinity in Modes
Masculinity in Modes
Cinemagazine
1931
mins
Silent
Women wear the trousers: sample the latest Parisian couture with this pretty stencil-coloured piece from Eve's Film Review.
Currently unavailable
Air to Wear
Air to Wear
Advert
1957
mins
Silent
As full of holes as his Aertex shirt, Uncle Jeff’s tall tales are captured in crayon in this animated cinema ad
Currently unavailable
Silver Joy Nylons
Silver Joy Nylons
Industry sponsored film
1954
33
mins
Silent
Location: Ilkeston
With nails filed smooth to avoid snagging, the expert staff of this Derbyshire nylons firm are even ready to tackle the mystery of the seamed seamless stocking.
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Co-operative Wholesale Clothing Factory in Manchester (c.1900)
Co-operative Wholesale Clothing Factory in Manchester (c.1900)
Non-Fiction
1900
mins
Silent
Location: Manchester
Victorian Manchester mill workers enjoy the novelty of a moving picture camera.
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Bathing Fashion
Bathing Fashion
Non-Fiction
1922
mins
Silent
Location: Chiswick
Wonderful film of seven women parading the latest in 1920s beachwear, including a stylish hat that can be worn while diving, at Chiswick outdoor pool.
Currently unavailable
Models showcase the latest fashion in Truro
Models showcase the latest fashion in Truro
Current affairs
1970
mins
Location: Truro
Truro treated to models displaying the fashion of the age and a fashionista discusses the latest 1970s trends.
Currently unavailable
Tie and Dye
Tie and Dye
Cinemagazine
1970
mins
A snazzy intro to the ancient textile-dyeing technique taking the 70s fashion world by storm.
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London Line Colour Series 1 Issue 1
London Line Colour Series 1 Issue 1
Cinemagazine
1966
14
mins
Location: Fulham
Swinging 60s meets capital of cool in a fun and funky TV magazine show aimed at Canadian audiences.
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Cotton Come Back
Cotton Come Back
Industry sponsored film
1946
26
mins
Location: Shaw
A passionate post-war plea for workers to return to the cotton industry after decades of decline, framed as an argument between father and daughters.
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Workpeople from Messrs Mayall's Mills Emerging on Queen Street, Mossley (1900)
Workpeople from Messrs Mayall's Mills Emerging on Queen Street, Mossley (1900)
Non-Fiction
1900
mins
Silent
Location: Mossley
Victorian textile workers at a mill near Manchester
Currently unavailable
The Princess and the Wonderful Weaver
The Princess and the Wonderful Weaver
Animation & Artists Moving Image
1968
12
mins
It’s the 60s – what better way to sell wool than animating a spurious fable about a mile-high naked princess?
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Underwear and Hosiery
Underwear and Hosiery
Non-Fiction
1924
20
mins
Silent
A thoroughly engrossing 1920s guide to the making of woollen undies – and a tongue-in-cheek demo of why pre-shrunk are best.
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Everything but Everything in Bri-nylon
Everything but Everything in Bri-nylon
Industry sponsored film
1959
20
mins
50s fashion meets carpet kitsch in a futuristic fantasy of domestic bliss - courtesy of versatile, magical Bri-Nylon.
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Workers at Spring Bank Mill, Nelson (1900)
Workers at Spring Bank Mill, Nelson (1900)
Non-Fiction
1900
mins
Silent
Location: Nelson
Lively Lancashire millworkers, including young boys and girls, at the
mill gates.
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Workpeople and Girls Leaving Thos. Adams Factory, Nottingham (1900)
Workpeople and Girls Leaving Thos. Adams Factory, Nottingham (1900)
Non-Fiction
1900
mins
Silent
Location: Nottingham
The hustle and bustle of Edwardian lace-workers heading home after a morning shift.
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Macclesfield Hails Britain's Silk Queen
Macclesfield Hails Britain's Silk Queen
Non-Fiction
1933
mins
Location: Macclesfield
The annual ceremony around the coronation of Macclesfield's silk queen will worm its way into your heart.
Currently unavailable
Views Past and Present at Spring Grove Mills
Views Past and Present at Spring Grove Mills
promotional film
1933
26
mins
Silent
Location: Scissett
A fascinating journey around the entire process of a typical 1930s textile mill, with young women workers, all sporting the same hairstyles, labouring at hypnotic machines.
Currently unavailable
Cressbrook: A Derbyshire Mill
Cressbrook: A Derbyshire Mill
Documentary
1972
16
mins
Location: Cressbrook
With a leaking roof and flaking brickwork Cressbrook's 18th century textile mill is crumbling into the Derbyshire countryside.
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London Line No. 113
London Line No. 113
Cinemagazine
1966
14
mins
Location: Sevenoaks
If your interests happen to include rainwear, concrete in Africa, science in Sevenoaks, and gbedu drum music, then this is your lucky day...
Currently unavailable
Made in Wales
Made in Wales
1970
mins
Location: Conwy
From a farm near the Conway river to a nearby woollen mill, see how wool gets from the sheep to the shelves.
Currently unavailable
Last Time
Last Time
Amateur film
1982
mins
Location: Burnley
The end of an era for a piece of Lancashire's steam-powered industrial heritage.
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Workforce at Horrocks Miller & Co. Preston (c.1901)
Workforce at Horrocks Miller & Co. Preston (c.1901)
Non-Fiction
1901
mins
Silent
Location: Preston
A vibrant impression of dinner hour at an Edwardian cotton mill.
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The Duke of York's Visit to Horrock's Mills
The Duke of York's Visit to Horrock's Mills
Non-Fiction
1922
22
mins
Silent
Location: Preston
A tour of cotton production at a Preston mill - for the benefit of the future George VI
Currently unavailable
Kidderminster Story
Kidderminster Story
Documentary
1963
25
mins
Location: Kidderminster
Unable to tell a Wilton from an Axminster? Baffled by your shags, yarns and hanks? Help is at hand with this in-depth guide to Kidderminster's carpet industry.
Currently unavailable
Inside W. Tatton Silk Works, Leek
Inside W. Tatton Silk Works, Leek
Promotional
1963
14
mins
Silent
Location: Leek
Spinning silk with speed and precision in Staffordshire.
Currently unavailable
Yeovil's Clark's Shoe Factory
Yeovil's Clark's Shoe Factory
Current affairs
1975
mins
Silent
Location: Yeovil
Clark's Factory in its 150th year
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Fabrics of the Future
Fabrics of the Future
Industry sponsored film
1946
21
mins
The challenges posed by the emergence of synthetic fibres for Britain's traditional textile industry.
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Workforce Leaving Cartwright & Warner Hosiery Works, Loughborough (1900)
Workforce Leaving Cartwright & Warner Hosiery Works, Loughborough (1900)
Non-Fiction
1900
mins
Silent
Location: Loughborough
Victorian women workers (and a few men) hasten through the gates of the hosiery works after their shift.
Currently unavailable
Baxholme: A Tour of their Nottingham Factories
Baxholme: A Tour of their Nottingham Factories
Industry sponsored film
1955
18
mins
Location: Nottingham
Jacquards, bobbins, warp and looms: Holmes and Baxter Limited of Nottingham demonstrate the intricate art of the lace factory.
Currently unavailable
Albert's Last Skep
Albert's Last Skep
Documentary
1978
28
mins
Location: Bradford
For the very last time Albert, at 73, makes the work of weaving the large willow bobbin baskets, skeps, look easy, having devoted his entire working life to perfecting his art.
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Carnival in the Clothes Cupboard
Carnival in the Clothes Cupboard
Advert
1941
mins
A cartoon fantasy brings fabric patterns to life in a literal soap opera - yet even here the reality of Home Front life creeps in
Currently unavailable
Ladybird' Children's Clothing Company Closure
Ladybird' Children's Clothing Company Closure
Current affairs
1980
mins
Location: Plymouth
Ladybird is best, the 20th century's leading children’s brand
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Employees Leaving Baxter's Jute Works, Dundee (1901)
Employees Leaving Baxter's Jute Works, Dundee (1901)
Non-Fiction
1901
mins
Silent
Location: Dundee
Edwardian textile workers leave a Dundee mill.
Currently unavailable
Daybrook is the Name
Daybrook is the Name
Industry sponsored film
1962
13
mins
Location: Daybrook
Daybrook Laundry in Nottingham has turned a dull job into an art-form of washing, pressing, folding and sorting. Who needs one of those new fangled home washing machines anyway?
Currently unavailable
Joe Kagan: Just Another Bump in the Road
Joe Kagan: Just Another Bump in the Road
Current affairs
1980
38
mins
Location: Elland
An intriguing insight into the extraordinary life of Lord Kagan, Jewish escapee from the Nazis, clothier to the Royals, and close friend of Harold Wilson and KGB spy Vaygauskas.
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Workers at India Mills, Stockport (1900)
Workers at India Mills, Stockport (1900)
Non-Fiction
1900
mins
Silent
Location: Stockport
Spinners and weavers jostle through the exit of one of Stockport’s largest textile mills.
Currently unavailable
From Bale to Finished Cloth
From Bale to Finished Cloth
Documentary
1950
34
mins
Silent
Location: Bury
The process of cloth production in Bury - from delivery to dispatch.
Currently unavailable
Sheep Shearing – Llanrwst Show
Sheep Shearing – Llanrwst Show
Home movie
1969
mins
Silent
Location: Llanrwst
Llanrwst show is full of wool related activities that include shearing, spinning and a fashion show where the garments are all made of wool.
Currently unavailable
Her Dress Allowance
Her Dress Allowance
Promotional
1930
mins
Silent
Location: Manchester
Let me tell you a secret - how a friend's advice on shopping wisely restores harmony in the family home.
Currently unavailable
The January Sales
The January Sales
Current affairs
1977
mins
Silent
Location: Exeter
January Sales
Currently unavailable
New Plant
New Plant
Industry sponsored film
1950
30
mins
Silent
Location: Elland
A bright future seems to be looming as the mule spun woollen yarns are warped and wefted on the shuttle, while the women mill workers scuttle between machines with baskets of cones.
Currently unavailable
See You Tomorrow
See You Tomorrow
Industry sponsored film
1965
17
mins
Location: Halifax
The lesson here is clear, do the right things in the workplace – wear totectors and Rozalex barrier cream – and all will be well, and if not there is a nurse on hand with a plaster.
Currently unavailable
Co-op Fashion Highlights
Co-op Fashion Highlights
Promotional
1970
mins
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
A fun Co-op fashion parade welcomes in the bad taste 70s.
Currently unavailable
Thinking of Textiles
Thinking of Textiles
School programme and Educational film
1978
25
mins
Location: Leeds
Students at Leeds are taken from the wool on the back of sheep on the Yorkshire moors to pyjamas in Marks and Spencer’s, learning everything that happens in between.
Currently unavailable
Silk
Silk
Industry sponsored film
1940
18
mins
Location: Macclesfield
Silk production in Cheshire, using time-tested methods to produce a perfect product.
Currently unavailable
It All Began with Velvet
It All Began with Velvet
Industry sponsored film
1955
31
mins
Location: Manningham
Fabrics galore burst into a Britain just recovering from war rationing, with mohair velvets, moth protected carpets and waterproofed textiles adorning London Routemasters.
Currently unavailable
Cotton Blossoms
Cotton Blossoms
Documentary
1943
78
mins
Location: Bury
"From flower to fabric" - the story of the Lancashire cotton industry.
Currently unavailable
Cotton Counts
Cotton Counts
Documentary
1951
19
mins
Location: Bolton
"Never let it be forgotten - what the country owes to cotton!" How a quality product and a happy workforce can enhance national wellbeing.
Currently unavailable
Plymouth's Berkertex Textile Factory
Plymouth's Berkertex Textile Factory
Current affairs
1970
mins
Location: Plymouth
Plymouth’s Berkertex Spinning Yarns
Currently unavailable
Axminister Carpets
Axminister Carpets
Current affairs
1967
mins
Location: Axminster
Axminster Carpets by appointment
Currently unavailable
Woven by Hand
Woven by Hand
Documentary
1970
11
mins
Location: Macclesfield
Handloom weaving, and its place in the history of textile production.
Currently unavailable
From Back to Back
From Back to Back
Promotional
1923
37
mins
Silent
Location: Manchester
From woolly sheep to satisfied customer - come and see how to produce a Co-operative coat.
Currently unavailable
Any Questions on Cotton
Any Questions on Cotton
Documentary
1955
26
mins
Location: Manchester
A piece of advice - happy housewives and homemakers buy British cotton.
Currently unavailable
Costume and Design
Costume and Design
Current affairs
1966
mins
Location: Widmouth
Fashion through the ages
Currently unavailable
Introducing William Pickles Group
Introducing William Pickles Group
Promotional
1953
mins
Location: Manchester
"Washes like linen, wears like hide". What is it? Linenide, of course. Find out more here.
Currently unavailable
Dulverton Textiles
Dulverton Textiles
Current affairs
1975
mins
Location: Dulverton
Dulverton Textiles in Tatters
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Mill Workers Leaving Oldroyd & Sons Mill, Dewsbury (1900)
Mill Workers Leaving Oldroyd & Sons Mill, Dewsbury (1900)
Non-Fiction
1900
mins
Silent
Location: Dewsbury
Workers of all ages depart Oldroyd's wool mill – and the filmmakers' camera is a subject of curiosity.
Currently unavailable
Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune
Amateur film
1961
10
mins
Silent
Location: Helmshore
As the water wheel turns, mill workers produce woollen cloth in the traditional, time-honoured way.
Currently unavailable
Lancashire Pride
Lancashire Pride
Documentary
1950
58
mins
Location: Wycoller
The looms of Lancashire: how the upheaval of the Industrial Revolution created the thriving textile industry.
Currently unavailable
Electricity - Power for Good
Electricity - Power for Good
Promotional
1961
35
mins
Location: Whitby
The NEEB sells an electrical future for modern homes and industries in the 1960s.
Currently unavailable
Miniskirts
Miniskirts
Current affairs
1966
mins
Location: Plymouth
Miniskirt - Passion and Power
Currently unavailable
Textile Factory in Redruth
Textile Factory in Redruth
Current affairs
1975
mins
Silent
Location: Redruth
Redruth Cottage Industry
Currently unavailable
Platt's Lap Converter
Platt's Lap Converter
Promotional
1951
13
mins
Location: Oldham
Forget the carding machine - you need a lap convertor. Puzzled? Find out more here.
Currently unavailable
Fibre to Fabric
Fibre to Fabric
Promotional
1948
12
mins
Location: Manchester
Turning raw cotton into curtains, clothing and handkerchiefs - take a look at how this happens.
Currently unavailable
Waterfall Mill, Blackburn
Waterfall Mill, Blackburn
Amateur film
1950
12
mins
Silent
Location: Blackburn
Mill workers and machines - a detailed look at the Lancashire textile industry.
Currently unavailable
Mave Spencer's Vintage Clothing
Mave Spencer's Vintage Clothing
Current affairs
1977
mins
Location: St Ives
Vintage St.Ives
Currently unavailable
Colour in Silk
Colour in Silk
Promotional
1954
14
mins
Location: Macclesfield
Come to Cheshire to visit "the most famous silk firm in the greatest silk town in both hemispheres".
Currently unavailable
Coloured Woven Cloth Production by Barden Mill Co., (Burnley) Ltd
Coloured Woven Cloth Production by Barden Mill Co., (Burnley) Ltd
Documentary
1949
26
mins
Silent
Location: Burnley
Warp twisting and high speed pirn winding? Come inside a Lancashire mill to find out more.
Currently unavailable
Research and Development at Helmshore
Research and Development at Helmshore
Documentary
1952
22
mins
Silent
Location: Helmshore
Analysis through action - the testing of textile machinery in the mill.
Currently unavailable
Plymouth's Dingles Department Store
Plymouth's Dingles Department Store
Current affairs
1976
mins
Location: Plymouth
Beau Dingles
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As Dreams Are Made Of...
As Dreams Are Made Of...
Fantasy
1965
13
mins
Sophisticated, smart and surreal, this Courtaulds’ fashion show ventures well beyond the confines of the catwalk.
Currently unavailable
Rope and net-making in Bridport
Rope and net-making in Bridport
Current affairs
1962
mins
Silent
Location: Bridport
Bridport Rope; plenty to go around
Currently unavailable
Make-do-and-mend
Make-do-and-mend
Animation & Artists Moving Image
1945
mins
A wartime family look on in amazement as their old clothes offer useful advice on how to make their clothing coupons go further.
Currently unavailable
Hainsworth Collection
Hainsworth Collection
Amateur film
1953
17
mins
Silent
Location: Pudsey
The extended family of an affluent woollen manufacturer from Yorkshire enjoy their pastimes, at home and at the seaside, while those who work in the mills enjoy a coach trip out.
Currently unavailable
City of Women
City of Women
Documentary
1987
25
mins
Location: Nottingham
"Fit for an Earl is the graceful Nottingham girl." But will they grace the city's textiles factories for much longer and what future is there for the city built on the work of women?
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Hints and Hobbies No.10
Hints and Hobbies No.10
Interest film
1926
14
mins
Silent
Fashion tips for skinflint flappers and other invaluable stratagems, brought to you by 1920s cinemagazine Hints and Hobbies.
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Hints and Hobbies No.12
Hints and Hobbies No.12
Magazine and Review show
1926
12
mins
Silent
Who needs an iron when you have a jam jar to hand? The Hints and Hobbies team return for the last surviving edition of the weekly cinemagazine.
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The Story of Viyella
The Story of Viyella
1930
24
mins
Silent
Location: Pleasley
A sheep-to-shop tour of production of the ultra-soft fabric in its Nottinghamshire birthplace.
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South Wales Leather
South Wales Leather
Home movie
1958
mins
Silent
Men at work in the Afon Leather Ltd tannery in Llanelli that produced leather for the fashion trade during the 1960s/70s.
Currently unavailable
Quality Maintenance
Quality Maintenance
Sponsored film
1953
15
mins
Location: Manchester
"Quality maintained means orders gained" - how good practice in the cotton industry benefits everyone.
Currently unavailable
Linen Weaving
Linen Weaving
Sponsored film
1957
mins
Silent
Location: Belfast
Enter a giant of the Belfast linen industry and get a joyful glimpse of workers in this bustling York Street mill.
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Lerry Tweed Mills
Lerry Tweed Mills
Documentary
1973
15
mins
Location: Tal-y-bont
The Leri river fuels the Lerry Tweed mills’ machinery and provides excellent water for the making of tweed, woven by hand at these mills in Tal-y-bont, Ceredigion.
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Bywyd - gwlan
Bywyd - gwlan
Documentary
1977
mins
A visit to Rock Mill, a woollen mill on the banks of the river Clettwr at Capel Dewi near Llandysul, in the heart of west Wales, where a father and son carry on the family business.
Currently unavailable
Surprise Visit
Surprise Visit
Documentary
1974
20
mins
Ideas for trendy knitwear - and promising careers - in this peppy promo film for Courtaulds spinning factories
Currently unavailable
Power behind the Spindle
Power behind the Spindle
Documentary
1969
22
mins
Location: Oldham
A last look at the mighty steam engines that once powered Lancashire's mills.
Currently unavailable
Lancashire's Time for Adventure
Lancashire's Time for Adventure
1948
21
mins
Silent
Location: Oldham
"Britain's bread hangs by Lancashire's thread" – cotton, Britain's great post-war hope.
Currently unavailable
Wake up to Wool
Wake up to Wool
Promotional
1967
19
mins
Escape into the kaleidoscopic world of 1960s fashion, where poodles and their glamorous owners sport matching hand-knitted outfits
Currently unavailable
Who Needs Brown Lisle Stockings?
Who Needs Brown Lisle Stockings?
Documentary
1975
15
mins
Location: Clacton-On-Sea
School uniforms needn't be dull and uncomfortable thanks to man-made, revolutionary thread Crimplene.
Watch for free
Cotton's 'shop Window'
Cotton's 'shop Window'
Non-Fiction
1930
mins
Silent
Location: Manchester
Get the speeches over with, we want the fashion show! Lancashire Cotton Fair opens in Manchester
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The Different Processes of Manufacturing Carpets at William C. G Ray & Sons' Factory, Ayr, Scotland
The Different Processes of Manufacturing Carpets at William C. G Ray & Sons' Factory, Ayr, Scotland
Non-Fiction
1920
14
mins
Silent
Location: Ayr
Spinning a yarn: an eye-opening tour behind the scenes at a top carpet manufacturer
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Yorkshire Woollen Workers Discuss Safeguarding
Yorkshire Woollen Workers Discuss Safeguarding
Party political broadcast
1931
10
mins
A heated canteen discussion segues from football to trade tariffs in this Conservative campaign film
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Rayon - First among Fibres
Rayon - First among Fibres
Documentary
1965
24
mins
A richly-textured tribute to the king of manmade fibres
Watch for free
Ready to Wear
Ready to Wear
Cinemagazine
1962
10
mins
Location: London
A portrait of the British fashion industry that patronises its African intended audience
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Small Silk Weaving Factory
Small Silk Weaving Factory
News
1976
mins
Location: Castle Hedingham
Redundant weaver continues the traditions of the East Anglian silk industry, opening a new factory in Castle Hedingham, Essex.
Currently unavailable
Messrs. Barlow and Jones Ltd., Manchester and Bolton
Messrs. Barlow and Jones Ltd., Manchester and Bolton
Promotional
1919
19
mins
Silent
Location: Bolton
From raw resource to finished product, by cleaning and spinning, weaving and bleaching - take a look at the textile industry from the inside.
Sue Prichard: Textiles on Film
Free collection
Sue Prichard: Textiles on Film
Former V&A curator and current Senior Curator of Decorative Arts at Royal Museums Greenwich, Sue Prichard, unravels some key works from our Textiles on Film collection.
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