Silver Studio upholstery textile, 1935

This upholstery moquette was designed by Lewis Jones for the Silver Studio in 1935. The London Underground used fabrics very similar to this as seat coverings in the 1930s. The decade was a golden age for public transport in London, with a great deal of consideration given to the smallest details of design. The London Passenger Transport Board commissioned well-known artists of the day to create special fabrics for new Underground trains. Moquette is a wool fabric with a thick, dense pile that is durable, versatile and fire-resistant. These qualities mean that moquette was – and still is - very popular in upholstery and furnishing.