Broderie et point de croix

History of textiles in the region of ŁÓDŹ

Permanent exhibition

The exhibition constitutes an overview of selected problems referring to the foundations and development of the Łódź Industrial Region. Chronologically, it concerns the years 1820-1939; in view of the changing political, economic and social conditions, four periods were separated.

The first one concerning the years 1820-1870 illustrates, by means of reproductions of maps of Łódź, Aleksandrów, Konstantynów and Zgierz, documents of industrial migration and the activities of the Polish Bank, the flow of hand weavers from abroad to the towns of the Mazovian Voyvodship and the establishment of industrial settlements. Special attention was paid to the activity of the organisers of industrialisation: Stanisław Staszic, Ksawery Drucki-Lubecki and Rajmund Rembieliński.
View of first mechanised textile mills in Łódź in the first half of the 19th century are shown - those owned by L. Geyer, T. Grohman, F. Moess, J. Peters and L. Fessler.

The second period - 1870-1914 - is the time when big textile mills were established which employed over several thousand workers and produced mainly for the Russian market. They were based on cheap labour force, people migrating from the villages, progress in mechanisation, development of credit-giving institutions and transport - mainly the railways. The above mentioned problems are presented by means of documents concerning the activity of joint stock companies (shares, statutes, annual reports), photographs of mills and fabric samples supplemented by diplomas and medals from industrial exhibitions as well as documents of industrial institutions which operated in Łódź. Also, the growth of the big social group of industrial workers, their life and work conditions are shown. We can see this in accountancy books, inner mill regulations, punishment and wage tables as well as group photographs taken in factories and worker settlements.

The third period is the Ist World War (1914-1918). It is characterised by inhibition of the development of Łódź and the whole region, devastation of the mills by the Germans, the loss of capitals and securities located in the Russian banks. The total loss of the textile industry in Łódź is estimated as 3 billion of Polish zloties (the currency from before the war). _ The fourth period - the interwar period (1918-1939) - when the Łódź Industrial Region was touched by a new economic situation. Losses incurred by the war, cutting off from the traditional sales market in Russia and the change of raw material supply sources made the normal functioning of the factories difficult.

The exhibition shows, by means of documents and photographs, the activities of the textile industry, problems resulting from high unemployment level and low wages, self-air worker organisations and the governmental wage tariffs. The establishment of the State Textile School in Łódź in 1919 is shown and its activity until the present days.

The exhibition also includes reconstructed typical workers’ dwelling places in Łódź at the beginning of the 20th century and a reconstruction of the office of a factory owner from the same period of time. Moreover, as a supplement, tools used by craftsmen are shown - spinning-wheel, reel, hand loom, printing table and a model of a horse-driven spinning room as well as sewing and knitting machines. A separate showcase presents industrial textile products from Łódź and the neighbouring towns.

The thematic arrangement and the selection of items consider the educational needs of history teaching at schools, particularly with regard to economic and social aspects in the 19th and 20th century. This enables to conduct history lessons in the exhibition rooms.

Piotr Jaworski, Senior Curator Head Department of the History of Textile Production

Textile tools and machines in the collection of the Central Museum of Textiles.

Permanent exhibition

The exhibition was prepared by the Department of Textile Techniques. Out of 650 items in possession, 59 were selected. Grouped in four sections determined by the technological aspect: spinning, weaving, knitting, finishing. Additionally, tools of textile metrology are shown. Spinning and weaving are approached in a specific way. The development of tools and machines are shown in a sequential evolution, starting from the Middle Ages up to the modern times. The development of spinning was illustrated with the use of 15 objects; four oldest ones were reconstructed.

The development of weaving looms is shown starting from the 10th century, from the reconstructed vertical looms to the contemporary rigid rapier loom, type MAV. In this part of the exposition we present 12 objects. There are several rarities included which have not been presented in other museum collections, ex: the Moritz Bauer loom from 1910. Similarly, in the spinning section we show a unique, improved Hargreaves autospinning machine from 1870. In the section of knitting we show only part of the technical evolution, apparently the most interesting “stormy time” from 1900 until 1930. There are some 10 various machines producing hosiery, socks and stockings.

Finishing is a big section which involves various processes of textile products refining, particularly fabrics. At the exhibition we first make notice of the problem and show two machines from printing textiles.

Textile metrology started in the second half of the 19th century. Mechanical production requested knowledge about the construction and various properties of fibres. Growing quality requirements on the part of customers made way for in-depth laboratory experiments preparing future production. At the exhibition we show 26 various fibre evaluation tools from the period of time between the end of the 19th century and the 1970s.

The exhibition opens on June 1, 1999.

Jan Głowacki, Senior Curator Head, Department of Textile Techniques History