Liberty is a well-known emporium located on Great Marlborough Street, in the centre of London. Established in the late nineteenth century, it focusses on the design, production and sale of luxury textiles, clothing and household accessories. They are especially known for their Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Oriental-style products.
Detail of a sample of the Pineapple Paisley design, Liberty of London, c. 2020 (TRC 2021.0638).
The TRC in Leiden is very pleased to announce that Liberty's has kindly donated some modern samples of their various paisley designs to be included in the current TRC exhibition, From Buteh to Paisley: The story of a global icon. The samples arrived on Friday (5th March), so over the next few days we are going to further catalogue the new items (TRC 2021.0636 – TRC 2021.0640), as well as add an extra showcase to the actual exhibition and another section to the digital version. So lots to do!
Detail of a sample of the Bourton design, Liberty of London (TRC 2021.0637), with various types of floral paisley motifs.
The samples show a range of designs, and in particular they represent ornate and floral paisley forms. The textiles are intended to be used for clothing (cotton lawn versions) and, for a linen sample, for furnishing. My particular favourite is the Pineapple Paisley design (TRC 2021.0638). It's such a cheerful and unusual piece.
Another design is called Bourton (TRC 2021.0637) and is regarded as a Liberty Classic, and has been popular for many years. Two very different designs, yet both have the paisley motif in common.
Detail of a sample of Liberty's Felix Raison-Pewter design, with paisley motifs, on a linen ground, used for furnishings (TRC 2021.0636).
One of the (many) questions I had was who actual produces these and other designs for Liberty’s? The answer reveals a long and interesting history. The London emporium of Liberty was established in 1875 and since then the firm has been involved in designing textiles and in developing their own range of clothing.
Detail of a sample of Liberty's Tessa design (TRC 2021.0640).
According to Anna Buruma, the archivist of Liberty’s design studio, the company, ever since it opened in 1875, has deliberately made a collection of thousands of textiles, many produced by the company itself, as well as pattern books from other companies, starting from the first half of the 19th century.
With respect to the theme of the current TRC exhibition, the Liberty archives include a wide range of paisley motifs. The archive is an important source of designs and inspiration for Liberty’s design team. The designs are produced in London and then printed at their factory in Como, northern Italy, before being sent to various countries around the world. Alas, the archive is not open to the general public.
The TRC Leiden would like to thank Liberty, and especially Anna Buruma, for their help and generosity.
Gillian Vogelsang, Director TRC, 6 March 2021.
