École Supérieure de Commerce de Lyon; Brosset-Heckel et Cie.

Cours de tissage.

Lyon, ca. 1910–1920.

Folio (39,4 × 27,5 cm). Printed title-page, ca. 500 manuscript pages and 14 printed  section titles inserted, some with engraved plates. Manuscript in a neat and highly legible hand in black ink. Extensively illustrated with numerous hand-drawn weaving diagrams and mise-en-carte grids in black, red, green and blue ink, with several large coloured pattern drafts on squared paper and a substantial number of mounted textile samples, many secured with silk threads.

Contemporary burgundy half-shagreen with corners. Spine with raised bands, decorated and lettered in gilt “Théorie du tissage”, with the name ‘Brosset-Heckel’ at the foot of the spine (possibly the student or compiler).

               A massive folio volume containing extraordinarily detailed practical instructions and worked examples in silk weaving. The drawings include large Jacquard pattern charts, technical weaving diagrams, loom-mechanism drawings, and detailed analyses of weave structures. Several pages show decorative textile designs drafted on graph paper (including floral and ornamental motifs), accompanied by corresponding fabric samples demonstrating the realised weave.
               The volume forms a comprehensive course covering the principles of weave construction, drafting of Jacquard patterns, loom setup, calculations for warp and weft, and the production of figured silk textiles. Numerous textile swatches—plain weaves, patterned silks, and decorative fabrics—are mounted throughout the volume as practical demonstrations of the techniques described.
               The spine bears at the foot the name “Brosset-Heckel,” identifying the Lyon silk-manufacturing firm Brosset-Heckel et Cie. The placement of the name suggests that the volume formed part of the technical library or workshop reference material of the firm rather than a personal notebook. Brosset-Heckel belonged to the network of manufacturers active within the Fabrique lyonnaise, the highly developed system of designers, manufacturers, and specialised workshops that made Lyon the principal European centre of luxury silk production during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Women were integral to Lyon's silk industry, working in various roles from weaving to design. They contributed significantly to production, both in factories and at home, supporting the city's economic growth and its reputation as a silk center.
               Within this industry, manufacturers maintained technical manuals and pattern archives documenting loom mechanisms, weave structures, pattern drafting (mise en carte), and experimental fabrics. The present manuscript, with its extensive diagrams, large pattern drafts, and numerous mounted silk samples, appears to represent precisely such a working technical corpus.
               A substantial and visually striking technical manuscript reflecting the advanced knowledge of textile design and loom technology that underpinned Lyon’s silk industry, and therefore an historically important document of the practical methods used in the production of figured silks.

Condition: Small abrasion at the lower part of the first joint, otherwise a very good copy with traces of atelier use throughout. Additional loose textile samples preserved with the volume.