Handmade Metal Stamps from Manchester's Textile Trade
Adrian Wilson's typography collection includes handmade metal stamps from late 19th- and early 20th-century textile manufacturers in Manchester, England. The stamps were used to imprint trademarks on fabric, with about 250 million pieces printed in Manchester in 1913 alone. Wilson shared a step-by-step guide on how these stamps were made: designs were drawn on close-grain wood like apple or plane, slots cut with mushroom-shaped chisels, copper strips inserted and bent into shapes, then knocked into the wood without solder. The wood was chiseled lighter, the surface filed flat, and the maker's mark punched into the side. Metal was preferred over wood for durability and ease of repair. This method evolved from textile pattern blockprinting.
Key facts
- Adrian Wilson's typography collection contains handmade metal stamps from late 19th- and early 20th-century Manchester textile manufacturers.
- Approximately 250 million fabric pieces were printed with these stamps in Manchester in 1913.
- Stamps were made by drawing designs on close-grain wood (apple or plane), cutting slots with mushroom-shaped chisels, and inserting copper strips.
- Copper strips were bent into shapes using chisels, crimps, and jigs, then knocked into the wood without solder.
- The wood was chiseled lighter and the surface filed flat; the maker's mark was punched into the side.
- Metal stamps were more durable and repairable than wood, evolving from textile pattern blockprinting.
- Wilson previously shared collections of stamps from England's colonial past.
- The stamps were used to hand-stamp trademarks on fabric daily.
Entities
Artists
- Adrian Wilson
Institutions
- The Daily Heller
- PRINT Magazine
Locations
- Manchester
- England