Jacquard is the name for both a weaving mechanism and the patterned fabrics it produces. The Jacquard device, attached to a loom, uses a chain of punched cards to control the raising of individual warp threads, allowing complex designs to be woven automatically rather than by a second worker manipulating the threads by hand.
The mechanism was developed by the French weaver Joseph-Marie Jacquard in the first years of the nineteenth century, building on earlier experiments, and it was quickly adopted by the silk industry of Lyon and then across Europe. It transformed the production of figured textiles such as damasks, brocades, tapestry-woven upholstery fabrics, carpets, coverlets and Paisley shawls, making them far more affordable. Its punched-card system is also often cited as an inspiration for early computing. Victorian woven pictures, bookmarks and silk ribbons are among the most collected Jacquard products, together with figured coverlets and furnishing fabrics. Collectors and designers value antique Jacquard textiles for their crisp pattern, good colour and condition, and the term is still used today for any fabric with a woven-in design. Fragile silks should be protected from light and handled carefully.
