Description: Stevengraph bookmark containing image of poet Robert Burns, ca. 1862-1889. Thomas Stevens, a weaver in Coventry, England, used a mechanically operated jacquard loom to weave intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk. He called these creations "stevengraphs." Among the first products he created were silk bookmarks (in 1862). This bookmark features an oval portrait of Robert Burns, a famous Burns quotation, a cottage, and a silk tassel. The silk is primarily gray with black and violet accents. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05909
Subjects: Bookmarks; Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Jacquard weaving; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Decorative arts
Places: Coventry (England)
 

Description: Trade label from the stevengraph image " The Good Old Days," was manufactured by the Thomas Stevens Company, Coventry, England. The label includes an image of the Stevens factory and a row of medals. A handwritten notation in the upper left corner reads: "From Annette P. Ward, Oct. 1913." Thomas Stevens, a Coventry weaver, invented the woven-silk pictures he called “stevengraphs.” These images were made using a jacquard loom in which mechanically operated devices wove intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk. The image actually was part of the fabric (as opposed to being painted or dyed on the surface). The printed trade label pasted on the back of a stevengraph helps to identify the age of the piece and the authenticity of the subject. Stevengraph labels list subjects for sale; prize medals and diplomas awarded to Thomas Stevens; the company's address; and trade marks used by the company. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05915
Subjects: Labels--Catalogs; Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Jacquard weaving; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Decorative arts
Places: Coventry (England)
 

Description: Stevengraph bookmark with image of General Ulysses S. Grant, ca. 1862-1889. Weaver Thomas Stevens of Coventry created the process that used a mechanically operated jacquard looms to weave intricate, three-dimensional images in silk. The images were actually part of the design, not a painted or dyed picture. He created the first stevengraph bookmarks in 1862. This bookmark features an oval portrait of Ulysses S. Grant wreathed in laurel leaves. Above Grant's picture is an American bald eagle and shield. The caption below Grant's portrait reads: "General U.S. Grant, President of the United States of America." The bookmark includes a tassel. The bookmark's fabric is badly faded, making its original colors hard to determine. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05911
Subjects: Bookmarks; Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Jacquard weaving; Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888
Places: Coventry (England)
 

Description: Stevengraph bookmark with image of U.S. President George Washington, ca. 1862-1889. Thomas Stevens, a weaver in Coventry, England, used a mechanically operated jacquard loom to weave intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk. The design was actually part of the weave; it was not painted or dyed on the silk Stevens called these creations "stevengraphs." Among the first products his company produced were silk bookmarks (in 1862). This bookmark features a bust of George Washington inside an half-oval border on which is woven in red the words "Father of Our Country." Other symbols in the design include an American bald eagle, green laurel leaves, a cannon and shot, flags, and a pedestal inscribed with the words "The first in peace, the first in war, the first in the hearts of his countrymen." A dark red tassel decorates the bookmark's tip. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05910
Subjects: Bookmarks; Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Jacquard weaving; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Washington, George, 1732-1799
Places: Coventry (England)
 

Description: Stevengraph portrait of U.S. President Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). This item was sold for only a short period and is consequently very rare. Weaver Thomas Stevens of Coventry, England, invented the woven-silk pictures, which he called “stevengraphs.” His company first produced woven-silk bookmarks in 1862. Coventry, England, was the heart of a ribbon-weaving industry during the mid-19th century. Stevengraphs were made using a jacquard loom in which mechanically operated devices wove intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk. The design was actually part of the fabric, not a painted or dyed image. This ribbon features a bust of Benjamin Harrison, a shield and flags with the Stars and Stripes, and a reproduction of Harrison's signature. A fringe runs along the bottom border. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05912
Subjects: Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Jacquard weaving; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Decorative arts
Places: Coventry (England)
 

Description: A stevengraph image entitled "Called to the Rescue: Heroism at Sea." This scene depicts a group of 13 men in a boat who are attempting a rescue in stormy seas. They are fighting their way to a sinking ship (right edge). Another sailing ship and a lighthouse are visible in the left background. Underneath the image is a caption that reads: "Woven in silk by Thomas Stevens Inventor and Manufacturer, Coventry and London (Registered)." This image was registered on February 20, 1880. (It was a companion piece to a picture titled "For Life or Death: Heroism on Land," which depicting fire-engine scenes.) originally created by Stevens, a Coventry weaver, invented the woven-silk pictures, which he called “stevengraphs.” Stevengraphs were made using a jacquard loom in which mechanically operated devices wove intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk. The picture was actually part of the fabric, not painted or dyed on the fabric's surface. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05913
Subjects: Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Jacquard weaving; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Decorative arts
Places: Coventry (England)
 

Description: A stevengraph picture entitled "The Good Old Days." This landscape shows a Royal Mail coach-and-four with five men riding in exterior seats. They appear to be wearing heavy winter clothing in muted tones of brown and dull gold. The coach, however, is colored in vivid blue and red. The picture, which was registered as being issued on August 14, 1879, was manufactured by the Thomas Stevens Company of Coventry, England. Coventry weaver Thomas Stevens invented the woven-silk pictures, which he called “stevengraphs.” They were made using a jacquard loom in which mechanically operated devices wove intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk.The pictures actually were woven into the fabric (not painted or dyed on its surface). The caption below the image reads: "Woven in silk by Thomas Stevens, inventor and manufacturer, Coventry and London, (registered)." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05914
Subjects: Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Jacquard weaving; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Decorative arts
Places: Coventry (England)
 

Description: Stevengraph image entitled "Landing of Columbus, Oct. 12, 1492." It was woven at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893. The manufacturer was the Thomas Stevens Company of Coventry, England. Stevengraphs are images created using a jacquard loom equipped with mechanically operated devices that weave intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk. Coventry weaver Thomas Stevens, who invented the process in the mid-19th century, called the images "stevengraphs." This stevengraph has a companion piece, "Columbus Leaving Spain." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05916
Subjects: Silk pictures; Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Silk pictures--Exhibitions; Decorative arts, Victorian; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Columbus, Christopher--Landfall
Places: Chicago (Illinois); Cook County (Illinois)