Visit Our Museums
The Silk Museum, Park Lane Galleries
Resources at the Museum include :
- Collections of fabric and costumes in our reserve collections
- Hundreds of thousands of archive samples in our pattern book collections
- Tens of thousands of photographs of the Macclesfield area
- Specialist Reference Library with textile and rich local history collections
Enter the world of the student and discover how the designers and weavers were trained. Based in what was the Macclesfield School of Art and the Technical School the museum explores how the school worked. Investigate how silk worms are raised, we even have our own silk worms which you can see going through the different stages of growth. Delve into the properties of silk, dyeing and weaving along with the concepts of design. Look at student designs, drafts, samples and prizes. Try your hand at weaving, designing and look through the microscope at silk, cotton, linen and wool to see the difference between the fibres.
The Spectrum Displays opened in April 2008 with Heritage Lottery funding are targeted at school curriculum science and include numerous interactives on the qualities of light, colour and on the life-cycle of the silk moth. New displays also reveal what is happening to silk today.
Move on to the second room which is a discovery centre investigating silk processes such as dyeing, printing, knitting, weaving and embroidery which were used extensively in Macclesfield's silk industry. You can try your had at printing and see for yourself the different patterns and weaves.
A wide variety of historic machines are displayed in the third gallery. Many are on display for the first time and may be the last of their kind in the world, such as the ribbon loom. The museum is lucky enough to be able to display the loom used to produce the famous Brocklehurst Whist on Amalgamated woven silk pictures.
As these machines have been often been neglected for many years before entering the museums collection they are currently being restored to their former glory by a team of dedicated volunteers. The volunteers are often working when the museum is open and are happy to help with any questions about their work.
Temporary exhibition programme can be
seen at events. Research facilities are available by appointment through the Director.
History of the Macclesfield School of Art
Art education in Macclesfield began in 1833 with the provision of evening classes for the benefit of the town's working population. Building on the success of these early classes the Useful Knowledge Society was formed in 1835.
In 1836 the Government founded the National Design School to counter dissatisfaction with the standards of design throughout the country. By 1844 branch schools had spread to eight large manufacturing centres.
In Macclesfield the Useful Knowledge Society continued to provide art education with the support of local manufacturers and benefactors. Government funding was granted in 1851 when the Macclesfield School of Design was opened in rooms rented from the Useful Knowledge Society on Park Green. By 1873 the school had trained 77 designers and 145 weavers.
As the school expanded and diversified purpose built premises were needed. Local architect J. Stevens drew up the plans which had to be submitted to South Kensington for approval. The Macclesfield School of Art & Science opened in 1879 having cost £3000 to build and a further £1500 to fit out.
The School soon established an excellent reputation for training designers. At the turn of the century it was one of the top art schools in the country.
As the demand for luxury silks began to fall in the 1920s the number of students also fell and the school's reputation went into decline.
After the Second World War the school became part of the Macclesfield College of Further Education. Designers continued to study at the college despite the closure of the weaving department in 1957. The School of Art building was used by the Macclesfield College of Further Education until the 1990s.