Lancashire Lantern
Lancashire Lantern: Lancashire Pioneers
Part of the Lancashire Lantern network, the Pioneers gives details of people who were famous local people in science, technology and innovation. These pioneers were either born in Lancashire or their endeavours made a significant contribution to the development of the County.
James Thomson - Calico printing
A page from the 1841 census showing the number of people with calico printing related occupations living on Russell Street, now Whalley Road, Clitheroe (Click the image to enlarge)
The illustration shows the calico printing process. The worker on the left is using a machine printing process with engraved copper rollers transferring the pattern onto the cloth.
The worker on the right is a block printer, using hand carved wooden block. Note the buckets of dye under the machine.
Primrose mill used both processes simultaneously.
Original swatches of fabric dyed and printed at Primrose Mill from about 1830 are in Manchester Central Library Local Studies Department, in a ledger bought from the sale of Primrose Mill in 1854.
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