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The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows:
“Carpets were first made in Asia, some 26 hundred years before Christ. While Europe was inhabited by savages, the Egyptians were inviting their Sacred Bulls to ‘Have a Rug.’”
Woman at rug loom, pattern in front of her, making rug by hand.
“In 1745 the Earl of Pembroke located a carpet factory at Wilton, England, from whence the name ‘Wilton Rugs’ originated.”
“A tough, wear-resisting yarn is first placed on the reels and then wound onto spools.”
Winding yarn by machine.
“Twisting the yarns together to add strength.”
Woman worker tending machine with spools of yarn on it.
“As the yarn is wound onto the large spools it is tied together. Each spool holds 280 miles of yarn.”
Winding machine in operation - very large spool of yarn, woman worker.
“Starching the warp and drying on steam rollers. This gives a stiffness to the rug.”
Threads from spools into rolling machinery - thread on huge roller.
“Winding the cop for the shuttle.”
Thread being unwound from large wheel-like frames by machine, woman worker tending machine.
“Designing the patterns for the rugs.”
Artist painting design on paper.
“Working the design into a set of cards. Afterward they are sewed together into a continuous belt called the Jacquard.”
Worker operating machine, pattern in front of him, placing punches in slots, punching card, showing it - machine stitching jacquard together.
“When the rug ‘looms.’”
Worker tending loom.
“Spools of colored yarn are placed on frames at rear of the loom, one color to a frame.”
Thread leading from frame - view of spools of thread in frames.
“Leaving the frames.”
Thread from frames to loom.
“At the top of the loom in the Jacquard which controls numerous cards and wires, and is operated something like a player-piano.”
Cards moving over top of loom, falling in folds.
“Each card in its turn presses on a cylinder covered with needles which in their turn slip through the holes of the Jacquard, controlling threads which form the pattern.”
Machinery in operation.
“Strings raising the different yarns.”
Loom in operation, many different threads.
“A shuttle passing from one side to the other binds the yarns together.”
Hand placing shuttle in loom - loom in operation.
“In Wilton weaving a knife-tipped wire follows the shuttle, which, when removed, cuts the loops, thus forming the nap or plush surface called ‘pile.’”
Loom in operation, close-up of rug on loom.
“Burling -- searching for bad spots and mending.”
Women workers inspecting carpet passing over frames, hand weaving spots.
“The pile is cut to a certain height by mower-like knives.”
Carpeting passing through cutter.
“Sewing strips together.’’
Worker hanging pieces of carpet from frame, sewing it together.
“Stretching and ironing out to give desired finish.”
Workers laying carpet on frame, tacking it, sprinkling it with water, raising frame, pushing it into press, removing frame, laying it down, removing, rolling carpet.
“Fringing the rugs.”
Women workers sewing fringe onto carpet on sewing machine.
“‘Were a man to live as long as Methuselah he would never cease to find fresh beauties in a Persian carpet,’ M. Charles Blanc.”
Display of richly designed carpets. [1920]
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