Neo-Classical Style Timney Fowler Cushions - 1980's/90s

Recently we acquired some obsolete sample books from the Timney Fowler range. Rather than throw them out we decided to create a stunning range of one of a kind cushions.

Timney Fowler are esteemed designers who started their business in1980, creating beautiful prints that typically consisted of Neo-Classical, architectural, and European art designs. Their work has also been exhibited in the V&A as well as the Fashion & Textile Museums in the UK, and have had clients such as Issey Miyake and Yohni Yamamoto. 

Timney Fowler designs are distinctive by their primarily black and white designs, adding a modern twist to the classical imagery used, with occasional pops of colour, like purples, greens and yellows, which can be seen below.

Warner Archive II: Fancy Stripe

We are talking about another chintz fabric again, after looking at this Robert Allen one a few weeks ago. This time it is a fabric from 1983 from the Archive II Collection by Warner. We have acquired 40 metres of "Fancy Stripe" in Green here in store.

"Fancy Stripe" in Green

Vintage- 1983.

This fabric would have been ideal for both curtaining and lining. Patterned linings like this make your curtains look interesting from the outside as well as in. 

If you haven't read our other blog post describing chintz, the fabric is usually a glazed cotton fabric with printed patterns and designs on a plain background. You can see from the photo of the chintz above the glazed look of the fabric.


If you want to have a look at this fabric and see if it is what you are looking for, pop into 51 Sandycove Road, Sandycove or call us on 01 2843486.




Lucy Kiernan

Ronald Reagan's Blanket

Following on from our last Vintage Wednesday on Sybil Connolly's fabric, we have another piece from the 1980's in our shop. In the past, Martin-Hudson & Gibson produced 3 wool blankets for Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States and radio, film and television actor. They were made for the use of the guest bedrooom at the US Ambassador's residence in the Phoenix Park in Dublin for Regan's visit in 1984. In the end only 2 were used, and the remaining blanket is here at 51 Sandycove Road. 

Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1911-2004

The blanket at Martin-Hudson & Gibson, 51 Sandycove Road, Dublin.

The blanket is a simple cream 100% natural pure new wool with a satin border. It is an alternative to the modern duvet and is a little piece of history.

It was produced by Foxford Woolen Mills situated by the River Moy in County Mayo and is one of the last working mills in Ireland. Founded by Irish Sister of Charity Mother Agnes Morrogh-Bernard, it overcame many challenges over the years but it continues to succeed. Today it is a thriving mill, especially after its modernisation including the addition of a visitor's centre and restaurant. Foxford have four stores in Ireland and many all over the world. They began producing these traditional bed blankets when they were first established and have been doing so ever since. 

Source: http://www.foxfordwoollenmills.com/

Lucy Kiernan.

Sybil Connolly for Robert Allen

We recently received a very interesting fabric in the store, with a great history in particular an Irish one. The steel blue chintz with floral patterns is part of the Sybil Connolly collection for Robert Allen from 1985.

Sybil Connolly (1921-1998) was an Irish designer who was, and is, a pioneer to Irish business women with her huge contribution to the fashion industry. With her innovative use of traditional fabrics she had the international world of fashion falling at her feet. She began her career by studying dress making in London followed by a managerial position under the French designer Gaston Mallet at fashion house Richard Alan. After replacing Mallet as the design director, she changed the ways of the company and started creating traditional fabrics, using tweed, crochet and lace. The interesting silhouettes and the vibrancy of the colours soon attracted the attention of the American market including the editor of Harper's Bazaar, Carmel Snow. 

Sybil Connolly

Snow brought press and buyers to Ireland to see Sybil's collection. Following this gathering, Connolly's full length red cape and white crochet dress was featured on the cover of Life magazine with the caption 'Irish Invade Fashion World'. Throughout her career she designed for many Hollywood stars including Elizabeth Taylor and Julie Andrews. Jackie Kennedy wore her trademark pleated linen dresses in her official White House portrait.

An image of Connolly's classic handkerchief linen dress from the 1950s, and in modern day worn by Gillian Anderson at the BAFTAs.

However as the fast paced fashion industry moved at a rate that Sybil had a reluctance to adapt to, her career was forced to change direction. She tried her hand at interiors, collaborating with Tiffany & Co. in designing tableware items including china patterns such as Mrs. Delany's Flowers and designing fabrics and wall coverings for Brunschwig & Fils. Her book, In An Irish House, is a magnificent collection of ancestral Irish homes. The book shows architectural detail ranging from Gothic to Palladian, oil paintings and watercolour landscapes, and luxurious furniture. She includes her own private home at 71 Merrion Square in the book, which also housed her couture studio. The interior of her house was filled with floral wallpapers and fabrics and antique furniture. 

This sofa in Sybil's house was covered in another fabric from the collection for Robert Allen.

Her legacy was evident after her death in May 1998 when thousands of visitors came to her home in Merrion Square to attend an auction where bids were placed on 600 lots.



Chintz was originally wood blocked printed, painted or stained calico produced in India used for bed covers, quilts and draperies. 

The early chintz fabrics that were brought into Europe were rare and expensive but by 1680 more than a million pieces of chintz were being imported into England per year. With imported chintz becoming more and more popular in the 17th century the English and French mills were worried as they could not make chintz. In 1686, the French declared a ban on all chintz imports. In 1720, the English Parliament approved a law that forbade the use of imported chintz in clothing, upholstery, cushions and any other household furniture. By 1759, the bans were lifted as English and French mills could produce chintz. The European designs began by reproducing the Indian patterns, later adding to them and creating original designs. 

Modern chintz usually consists of bright floral patterns with pale backgrounds.

Have a look at another chintz fabric we featured on Vintage Wednesdays here.


Lucy Kiernan.

Vintage - Paper-backed wall coverings by Pirat and Moire

In the early 14^th century silk was a hugely popular choice of fabric, while many European countries participated in its production, nowhere was quite like the silk industry in France, or more specifically Lyon. In 1446 King Louis the XI decided to develop a national silk industry in Lyon however the Lyonnais people protested so strongly against this that the industry was moved to Tours. This didn't last for long as in 1540 King Francis I granted the city of Lyon a monopoly on the industry and by the early 1600’s Lyon was the European leader in silk production.

An original Pirat paper-backed wallcovering fabric available in Martin-Hudson &Gibson

The industry was vast and encompassed all areas such as silkworm agriculture, spinning, dyeing, weaving, and textile design. By the mid 17^th century over 15,000 people were employed in the silk industry giving Lyon the highest concentration of workers in France at that time. There was an astonishing 14,000 looms in operation and the industry fed over a third of the city’s population alone.

During the industrial revolution it was uncertain whether the silk industry would survive in Lyon, but through the introduction of new machines such as the Jacquard loom the industry began to prosper once more. During the following years new fabrics types were developed including; bayadère, rep, taffeta, velour, cannelé, and gros de Tours.

Weave diagrams were highly technical in the nature so much so that up until 1920 they had remained relatively unchanged since the introduction of the Jacques loom, which had introduced the punch card diagram system. It was this system that led to the development of the first mechanical calculator and then to the modern computers.

Teal water silk (paper-backed) Moire wallcovering

A close up of a Pirat wallcovering

Martin-Hudson & Gibson have two beautiful paper-backed vintage wall covering fabrics in store today, the first designed by the very famous 'Pirat' company and the second by the equally famous 'Moire' company are at least a quarter of a century old and in excellent condition.

By Emma Lowe

Warner Grand Panel

A perfect match of 70's Style.
A curtain of Warner Grand Panel chintz on a Kirsch Atavio Gothic Rail.

By Elisa Pérez Manso

Vintage Wallpaper

Cole&Son - Canonbury Flock

This installation of Coles Canonbury  damask wallpaper was fitted in Mountjoy Square in the 80's. 
Coles periodically recolour & reinvent their designs to reflect the current trend and the smaller picture shows their current offering in flock.  


Posted by: Alessandra Petrecca

Vintage Lampshades

We have a range of vintage lampshades in stock at present. All were made by Mary Fitzsimmons, Ireland's top lampshade maker, between 1975 and 1995.

The shade above dates from the 1970s, and the batik is by Bernadette Madden. (SOLD)

This 1980s shade also features Bernadette Madden batik.

The above shade uses a Warner Print, and is from the 1990s. (SOLD)

Vintage Warner Fabrics

All of these wonderful fabrics were designed by an American designer by the name of Greeff for Warner & Sons. Greeff spent a lot of his time travelling and he was inspired by the sights and different cultures in which he came across on his many adventures. The inspiration from Greeff's travels can be seen in the many fabrics he designed.

We have a limited amount of these fabrics for sale in our vintage department including the ones listed below.

Shelducks and Mallards

Shelducks and Mallards

Kimono Stripe

Chinese Nightingale

Jasmine and Jade

Vintage Curtain Poles

Here at our store we stock a range of curtain poles including some very interesting vintage style poles. These date back some time. Here's a peak at some of our vintage poles.

Amtico

In the 50's the American Tile Company started selling a high quality, pure vinyl, sculpted tile.

A number of our installations from the 60's and 70's still provide sterling service including this one in a busy entrance hall in Mountjoy Square, Dublin.

Subsequently, they dropped all their pure vinyl tiles and now work on the fairly standard manufacturing processof 1mm vinyl on photograph on backing.

Now called Amtico, these wont last 40 years in heavy wear area.

Linoleum

One of the great vintage materials is linoleum (sometimes known as lino) invented in 1855 by Frederic Walton. It contains linseed oil, pine resin, cork dust, wood flour and mineral fillers on a canvas scrim.

After nearly dying out in the 1970's linoleum enjoyed a major resurgence when its green characteristics were appreciated.

It is a very long lasting product (typically 40+ years) and can be laser cut to incorporate any design.

When the Queen visits the Japanese Gardens tomorrow she will walk on a 20 year old installation in the entrance area of the visitors center, where we incorporated a 2.4m x 2.3m goban in the design, which was used by professional go players during the 45th European Go Championship in Ireland in 2001.

We also did a tatami mat design on the restaurant floor reflecting the traditional Japanese floor covering which we also sell in paper carpeting.

Old Books

Old books can provide an interesting source of ideas. It is amazing at times how a very old volume can

provide examples of contemporary furnishings which would not look out of place in a modern idiom.

A case in point is Colour Schemes and Modern Furnishings by Derek Patmore.

This volume was published in 1945 for the use of H M Forces and is available in our library.

The photo below shows a room in the house of Mrs Chester Beatty in London. Nothing in it

would be out of place today. The detectives among you can doubtless work out where the

paintings by Pisarro, Sisley and Boudin are now!

Welcome!

Most Wednedays we will post a snippet on some aspect of vintage design.

Generally we will restrict ourselves to the last century which many of you still remember.

Enjoy!

John