A few weeks ago whilst in Coventry, I happened to drop in on The Herbert Museum. The large ground floor exhibition area had just been refurbished and it was the first day of its relaunch.
Here I spent a couple of hours marvelling at the collection of ribbons and woven artifacts dating from the 18Th Century, and was intrigued to find out that Coventry was the centre of woven silk ribbons for over a century. My
interest in woven items has been growing over the last couple of years, and in Venice this year I was amazed at the woven silks and ribbons which they used in period dresses.
I mentioned the Ribbon Exhibition at the WI craft group, and several of my friends there were able to tell me more about the items that Cash produced.
I was disappointed that the shop at the Herbert did not have any of Cash's items for sale. It is very strange that where they have a wonderful exhibition, there
are not items for sale. Where there is a local item of such excellent quality, I feel it ought to be really showcased and that people around must be really proud. I think we must support British Made items of such quality, and enjoy them and ensure that such companies continue to prosper.
This is the start of my collection of woven silk pictures. The first in middle is that of a Peregrine Falcon. I picked this up at a bring and buy coffee morning. The next two, I bought as second hand items from a Furniture Shop in Kenilworth. The detail is superb: the fluffy white feather on the robin's breast look as if the wind is blowing them about, and the designer has managed to capture the stillness of the moment on the Kingfisher woven picture. I'm hoping to receive Cash's book marks as birthday presents in the future, well I dropped a big hint to Mr S, hope he was listening.
Cash is still in business and produces name tapes and items such as bookmarks and greeting cards. This past weekend I was delighted to find some at the Coventry Transport Museum. Veronica and I marvelled at the current collection. The design, details and the colours are really beautiful. I picked up two booklets: Silken Weave, A History of Ribbon Making in Coventry from 1770 to 1860, and Still Weaving - J and J Cash Ltd of Coventry. These two booklets are excellent sources on the history of a craft and the effect that the industry has had on the character and development of a City.
It is little recognised that whilst Thomas Stevens started in the mid 1860's, and W. H. Grant in the mid 1880's, the Coventry weavers of J. & J. Cash can trace their history back to an earlier period. It is also significant that Cash's are still weaving in Coventry today, having absorbed W. H. Grant (in March 1961), and possibly other weavers detailed elsewhere on this site.
The earliest record of Cash is in 1846, with the registration of their Hereford Street address, although it is believed they were in existence before this date. It is not known when they made their first picture or bookmark, although I have recorded a silk ribbon or bookmark titled " H.R.H. Prince Consort ", with the woven J & J Cash name, which dates to circa 1862. Stevens of course registered his first bookmark design also in 1862.
In keeping with the tradition of the Coventry silk weavers, Cash still produce woven products today, as Cash's (UK). Early weavings were in silk, whilst now they are woven in man made fibres, although their current production items are just as elegant in their own right.
Cash's production over the years has been both prolific and diverse, and at present this site's records are incomplete. Catalogue Numbers have not been allocated, only File Reference Numbers, which are allocated sequentially as each new title is added, and the structure of each page is also liable to change.
It seems to have been a policy of Cash's to sometimes issue a tapestry as both a Greetings Card and also as a framed picture. Individuals too seemed to have framed these Greetings Cards. You will find in the categories below that most of these are now recorded only as a Greetings Card, so please scrutinise both areas.
Updated Website with:- New Menu - Leaflets - .pdf Files - Photos - Information etc,. >>>> LINK Designed & Saved from the Skip End of a Craft Industry, circa 1980. | Editor :- myself PJC |
Cash's Times 1992:- Jacquard weaving had been a craft industry for over 100 years, with
computerized systems that had come to an End.
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Cash's Lane - kingfield Rd Works.
Manager - Leslie
Mallett. Graphic Design - Me / Pam Dunham / Bernard Maher / Paul
Taylor / Pete Allen R.I.P / Olivia Johnson / Ian Saville.
Graphic Designers - 1970s - Link.
1968-72.Progressive-Folk-Rock Band - DANDO SHAFT.
| Cash's Lane - Entrance
Illustration by Elisabeth Halstead. --- Approx Size10'x4' Bayley Lane
2016 - Photos |
Share Acquisitions by Cash's - Laird B & Co Ltd,. & W H Grant & Co Ltd.
- put into liquidation:- 29th Oct 1963.
Modernisation of J & J Cash Limited
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Big changes
in the 70s - early 80s, Retirement, Death,
Leaving,
Finding new staff for Design, big turnover.
Ribbon production ceased. Name Tape Cards changed to paper tape controlling electric solenoid actuators on top of loom.
Next automating card cutting for Jacquard Broad Looms, this needed Drafts to
be done on
computers.
Cash's
created their own software. with artwork being scanned
in. All these innovations were under the control of Dr. John
Lowe.
No more
Hand Painted Drafts . . . Modern jacquard cards changed to EEPROM memory plugged into the Looms.
Staff levels:- 1963 under 1000.
ribbon loss, nametape computerisation, staff now approx 600. Broad Looms more computerisation, staff now approx 300.
1984 - Latest Broad Looms & more up to date computer systems installed at new site in Torrington Ave, before the last of us moved.
24 hour shifts - Big changes to Badge
production ( greater profitability by 1999
).
1992
Two
Macintosh IIfx PCs arrive, staff down to 162.
Management Buyout 1999 ( had links
with Hong Kong ? ) - Joined forces with Hong Kong-based 'The Jointak Group'.
Sending them artwork for the production of woven labels, badges, lazer cut shapes, printed swing tickets etc,.
1966-67 - Dianne & Peter ( Nellie The Elephant )"Peter Theodore Campbell Julius Barker (Artist)"was the
son of a "good" tea plantation owner in INDIA, who looked after his workers & local villagers . |
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| © 2008 P.J.Cave |