Hawkins’ Miss Muffet Print

Book of textile samples, probably dating from the 1930s. The book contains three hundred and seventy- six cuttings, each numbered. Most designs appear in a number of different colourways, and range from small and medium-scale florals to small-scale geometric patterns, all dress fabrics. Although there is no additional material such as an order form accompanying this cuttings book, it may well have been intended as a catalogue. John Hawkins & Sons Ltd. produced reasonably priced fabrics in their mills in Preston, Lancashire, which were available to buy both from their own shops and via mail order. Hawkins were a client of the Silver Studio, and bought a number of designs for both dress and furnishing fabrics from the company. It is believed that this cuttings book belonged to the Studio, and was probably kept for reference purposes. Further research may well show that some of the fabrics contained within it were in fact designed by the Silver Studio. Many of the samples, particularly the small-scale florals, are very like the designs of this type which the Silver Studio were producing for clients during the interwar years. Each page of the book, which opens up concertina-style, has been inscribed with the letters A, B and what appears to be C, written in red ink at the top-left of each double-page. These letters may well have been added by somebody at the Silver Studio, relating in some way to their work for the company. MoDA also holds two small catalogues produced by John Hawkins, both of which feature fabrics designed by the Silver Studio (see BADDA 71 and BADDA 180).