Printed fabrics became popular in Britain from the mid 18th century, following the introduction of light Indian cottons and muslins. Printed fabrics were experimented with in Norwich, although this branch of the trade was never large.

Printed challis was one of the new lines introduced around 1820s to tempt the fashion market back to lightweight stuffs. Evidence for the development of printed textiles in the city comes mostly from the surviving printed Norwich shawls and registered printed shawl designs by Towler & Campin, and Clabburn and Plummer at the Public Record Office. In particular the gossamer fine, leno and gauzes became high fashion items in the mid 1840s and were popular for wearing with summer fashions. These were typically block printed rather than using the more modern roller techniques. A less expensive range of block printed fabrics was also produced for the popular market. Towler & Campin were the market leaders in Norwich printed shawls, and a substantial number of their printed shawls survive in the collections of the Costume and Textiles Study Centre, Carrow House.

Printing Techniques

Block printing is a complex technique. Typically six different blocks were used to build up a coloured pattern. Block cutters drew up the design in lamp black on stout wooden blocks. These were up to 3” thick and 18” square. Areas were cut away to leave the design for a particular colour standing in relief and a printing surface formed by hammering in fine flattened brass of copper wires into the grooves in the wood. Pins at the edges of the blocks acted as a register to guide the printer. The pattern repeats had to be skilfully combined to produce the final pattern. In essence, the block was charged on a dye-impregnated blanket, positioned on the cloth, struck with a printer’s mallet of maul, and left to dry. Each colour was applied separately, so the production of a whole cloth or shawl was complicated, requiring great precision. Finally the colours were developed by fixing or steaming, followed by a series of cold and then hot washes.