| Ref No | PS |
| Title | Paisley Shawls |
| Description | Kashmir inspired shawls produced in Edinburgh and Paisley. These include a wide range of styles such as simple Regency style oblongs to striped "Zebra" shawls and large plaids with complex allover patterns. The collection also includes some original shawls from Kashmir and India. Most are woven, but there are printed and embroidered shawls also. |
| Date | 1790 - 1870 |
| Level | Fonds |
| Repository | Heriot-Watt University Heritage and Information Governance Scottish Borders Campus |
| Admin History | Janet Paterson was a ceramics curator who worked for Huntley House Museum and Edinburgh College of Art. However, her main hobby was researching and collecting Kashmir inspired shawls produced in Edinburgh.
The Edinburgh shawl industry began in 1777, predating the Paisley industry by thirty years. The increased contact between Western Europe and India in the 18th century led to merchants and soldiers bringing the stunning shawls produced in Kashmir with the distinctive floral tear-drop motif back to Europe. However, these shawls were very expensive and weavers in Britain - notably Norwich and Edinburgh - began to weave their own Kashmir inspired shawls. The industry in Edinburgh was primarily a cottage industry with weavers located in Portsburgh (West Port), Portobello and Sciennes. The Edinburgh Drawing School, a predecessor of Edinburgh College of Art, taught shawl design and Edinburgh shawls were famed for the high standard of design and weaving. However, the Edinburgh weavers could not compete with the mass production in Paisley and the last Kashmir shawl was woven in 1847 by David Sime.
Janet Paterson was one of several curators in the 1950s who felt passionately that the Edinburgh industry should not be forgotten. One problem was identifying Edinburgh shawls when the designs were not usually patented. Two distinctive characteristics are believed to have been a black line along the edge and a yellow cream colour of silk. The Edinburgh weavers also tended to use softer, more muted colours whereas the shawls woven in Paisley tended to have stronger, more vibrant colours. Several shawls were also donated by Ebenezer Y Johnston, Chairman of the Board of Governors, Scottish College of Textiles. In addition to running his own successful mill, he collected textiles from all over the world. |
| Extent | 115 items |
| Related Material | Paisley Museum, The Museum of Edinburgh and the Royal Museum of Scotland have Edinburgh shawls.
E Y Johnston Textile Collection (HWUA EYJ2); E Y Johnston Mill Records(HWUA EYJ) |
| Custodial History | The Janet Paterson shawls were originally stored at the Scottish College of Textiles after an exhibition held in the 1950s. A formal deposit was made in 1973. The E Y Johnson collection was also donated in 1973. |
| Term | costume and textiles |
| Floral patterns |
| Weaving |
| Paisley |
| Indian (South Asian) |