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Bannister Hall
1804

When news of the discoveries at Pompeii and Herulaneum reached Europe in the latter part of the 18th century, this had enormous impact on the arts, but particularly on interior decoration and design. Vesuvius, a volcano had erupted in Italy in AD 79 and buried or covered the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. It was not until the second half of the 18th century that excavations began. Pompeii red was the bright red/brown colour painted on the walls of houses in the excavated city and became extremely popular during the late 18th/early 19th centuries.

For identical see: Hefford, Wendy The Victoria & Albert Museum's Textile Collection. Design for Printed Textiles in England from 1750 to 1850 p 112, no 124 (T50-1956)
There is an inscription on the original design for this border giving it name, date and proprieter. August 22nd 1804 R Ovey.

The V & A sample which has three blue lines in the selvedge, denoting English manufactured cotton, has part of the stamp of R Ovey, Furniture Printer...(to their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and Duke of York, London. The original design has the name of the border and R Ovey, 26th June 1805 inscribed on it.

Tichard Ovey & Co was a linen-draper in Covent Garden, London 1790-1831. He commissioned esigns and sent them to outside printworks especially Bannister Hall, Preston. He was one of the leading London suppliers of the time and supplier to the Royal Family.

This extract is from the V & A book:
At the begining of the 19th cetnury, the pattern-drawers' continued to command patterns from the designers, as they had during the 18th century. Bannister Hall printworks 1798-1893. Famous for block prints. Richard Jackson and John Stevenson were the original partners, joined in 1804 by John Swainson.

Many of the designs in the Bannister Hall record books and in EB Dudding's sample borders are quite eclectic . Wendy Hefford states that classical motifs in borders combined with a 'cashmere' central filling, derived from Kashmir shawls, did not disturb artistic sensibilities. The designs of Thomas Hope popularised the taste. Classical styles indiscriminately called Grecian, Etruscan or Pompeian were hugely popular.

Bannister Hall Printworks, Higher Walton, Nr Preston, Lancashire 1798-1983. Famous for block-printing furnishing cottons. Richard Jackson of Chelsea and John Stevenson, a calico printer from Walton were the founders. Subsequently the printworks was purchased by Charles Swainson 1825 who was very successful exporting to New York, Turkey and New South Wales. In 1856 Thomas Clarkson bought them out and lastly Stead McAlpin & Co in 1893.

Bower, Helen Textiles at Temple Newsam


Spencer House in London has a Pompeiian painted room, created by its architect James 'Athenian'Stuart in 1759, after he visited Pompeii.

Cataloguing

The Half Moon and 7 Stars Furniture hand block printed and glazed cotton, printed at Bannister Hall , Lancashire for the London merchant-draper Richard Ovey, in Pompeian style, with vignettes filled with and surrounded by classical scenes, the main field with a Kashmir shawl upright flower sprig repeat, all in shades of red/ brown and black on a bright yellow ground, 58 x 47 1/2 in longest drop ;1.48 x 1.20 m w (one seam. actual width of fabric 35 in; 90 cm) repeat 39 1/4 in; 1 m)

Condition

There is slight fading to the yellow, and it is at its strongest on the right hand side.