Mechanical Technology and Changing Power Sources

Mechanical Technology and Changing Power Sources

The production of woven coverlets represented some of the most complex weaving technology used by both domestic and trained weavers in rural America from the early 18th to the mid-19th century.

Draw looms and the Jacquard attachment

Draw looms are looms that have the ability to weave figures. They were complicated pieces of equipment for producing costly figured textiles such as damasks, brocades, velvets and other curvilinear textiles. To operate a draw loom, the weaver had an assistant referred to as the "draw boy", who was responsible for manually pulling cords necessary to weave the pattern part of a fabric. In the 1720s, the first punched card system was developed so that the draw boy did not have to remember a series of pattern lifts. This also made patterns storable and repeatable.

Mechanical Technology and Changing Power Sources