Spinning Frame Collection

A diagram of Arkwright's water frame
5310187 A diagram of Arkwright's water frame; (add.info.: Engraving depicting a diagram Richard Arkwright's water frame)

James Hargreaves Spinning Jenny
5311928 James Hargreaves Spinning Jenny; (add.info.: Engraving depicting James Hargreaves Spinning Jenny. The spinning jenny is a multi-spindle spinning frame)

Diagram of Arkwright's water frame, 1878
3480203 Diagram of Arkwright's water frame, 1878; (add.info.: Diagram of Arkwright's water frame, 1878. The water frame is the name given to a water-powered spinning frame which was an easy)

Various exhibits at the Patents Museum, 1850
3359144 Various exhibits at the Patents Museum, 1850; (add.info.: Illustration depicting various exhibits at the Patents Museum)

Illustration for Basedow's Elementary Work, 1770. Creator: Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki
Illustration for Basedow's Elementary Work, 1770. A popular illustrated textbook for children

Trades Practiced in Bologna, c1640. Creators: Francesco Curti, Agostino Parisini
Trades Practiced in Bologna, c1640. Plate 4

Silk Culture in China: preparing raw silk, 1857. Creator: Unknown
Silk Culture in China: preparing raw silk, 1857. When the worms have cast their several skins...they are removed...preparatory to their spinning

Woman on Veranda, Spinning... 18th century. Creator: Shunsho
Woman on Veranda, Spinning; another Pounding Cloth on Rock in Foreground, 18th century

Philippe de Girard, French engineer (chromolitho)
972177 Philippe de Girard, French engineer (chromolitho) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Philippe de Girard (1775-1845)

Interior of a House, n. d. Creator: Eliphalet Frazer Andrews
Interior of a House, n.d

The Three Fates Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, 1558-59. Creator: Giorgio Ghisi
The Three Fates Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, 1558-59. After Giulio Romano

Lucretia and her handmaids spinning, 1537-45. Creator: Antonio Fantuzzi
Lucretia and her handmaids spinning, 1537-45. [...Lucretia, before whose bed were baskets full of soft wool. By a dim light the handmaids were spinning their allotted stints of yarn

Sir R. Arkwright, printers sample for the Worlds Inventors souvenir album (A25) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, 1888

The spinning mule, a machine used to spin cotton and other fibres. From Le Savant du Foyer ou Notions Scientifiques Sur Les Objets Usuels de la Vie, published 1864

The drawing frame or spinning frame, a machine for drawing, winding and twisting yarn operated by drawing cotton or wool through pairs of successively faster rollers

Cotton-Spinning, c19th century
Cotton-Spinning. Various aspects of cotton spinning, including Bobbin and fly-frames (1, 2) and Spinning Mules (3, 4), c19th century

Bobbin and fly frame, c1880. A print from Great Industries of Great Britain, Volume I, published by Cassell Petter and Galpin, (London, Paris, New York, c1880)

Sir Richard Arkwright, 1789-90 (oil on canvas)
BAL72369 Sir Richard Arkwright, 1789-90 (oil on canvas) by Wright of Derby, Joseph (1734-97); 241.3x152. cm; Private Collection; English, out of copyright

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In the tranquil setting of a veranda, a woman sits gracefully on a spinning frame, her hands skillfully guiding the delicate fibers. This 18th-century scene captures the essence of an era when spinning was not only a necessity but also an art form. Philippe de Girard, a visionary French engineer, immortalized this timeless craft in his chromolitho masterpiece. The intricate details of the spinning frame come to life as we peer into the interior of a house where Eliphalet Frazer Andrews reveals its inner workings. As we delve deeper into history, Giorgio Ghisi's portrayal of The Three Fates reminds us that spinning is intertwined with destiny itself. Clotho spins the thread of life while Lachesis measures its length and Atropos cuts it with her shears – all symbolizing our mortal existence shaped by these ancient tools. Lucretia and her handmaids continue this age-old tradition in Antonio Fantuzzi's depiction. Their rhythmic movements echo through time as they spin threads that weave together stories and fabric alike. Sir R. Arkwright emerges as one of history's great inventors, revolutionizing cotton-spinning with his ingenious machines showcased in printers' samples from the Worlds Inventors souvenir album. His bobbin and fly frame from c1880 paved the way for industrialization, forever changing textile production. The spinning mule takes center stage in Le Savant du Foyer ou Notions Scientifiques Sur Les Objets Usuels de la Vie published in 1864. This remarkable machine spun cotton and various fibers effortlessly, propelling society towards progress at an unprecedented pace. But it is Sir Richard Arkwright's drawing frame or spinning frame that truly epitomizes innovation during this period. Operating like clockwork, it drew cotton or wool through pairs of successively faster rollers – transforming raw materials into fine yarns ready for weaving on looms across Great Britain.