The Warner Textile Archive collection records high quality British jacquard handweaving from 1821-1971, and is a complete history of a British firm specialising in printed fabric, woven fabric and wallpaper production from its inception to the late 20th century.

Warner & Sons became the foremost furnishing silk weavers in Britain, and the Textile Archive collection is the second largest in the UK after the Victoria & Albert Museum. Its significance derives from:

- Representation of the work of influential designers including: John Aldridge; A. W. N. Pugin; Dora Batty; Edward Bawden; Alec Hunter; Marianne Straub, and many more.

- Prominent Warners customers such as: Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace; numerous stately homes now owned by English Heritage and the National Trust; public buildings such as Senate House and the BBC headquarters.

- Archives of important weaving companies such as Daniel Wilson, Keith & Co., Charles Norris & Co. and more.

- A detailed social history of a weaving company in Essex, particularly relevant to social and family history in the Braintree area.

Further details of the management of the collections can be found in the   WTA Collections Management Policy 2006-2011.

For a summary of our diverse range of woven and printed fabrics and our document and artwork collections, please explore the links in the main navigation box (above left).