What must it be like to be the last in the world to do something – a craft that once was common, but now is nearly lost?
Today's short video documents the work the weavers of John Boyd Textiles of Castle Cary, Somerset, England. They're a very specialized kind of weaver: they have made horsehair fabric since 1837, and continue to do so on looms that date from 1870.
Woven from tail hair from live horses with cotton or silk warps, horsehair fabric was once the standard for long-wearing and lustrous furnishings, and was used by designers like Thomas Chippendale and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. While now the fabric is considered something of a luxury textile, it's still specified by high-end design firms. John Boyd Textiles is one of the last companies in the world continuing to produce horsehair fabric, and pride itself on using only traditional methods and materials.
In fact, what captivated me about this film was the understated pride of the John Boyd Textiles employees. It's clear that every worker in the labor-intensive process is proud of what they make, and how they make it - something that's rare indeed in the modern world.
There’s a big difference in how we use history. But we’re equally nuts about it. To us, the everyday details of life in the past are things to talk about, ponder, make fun of -- much in the way normal people talk about their favorite reality show.
We talk about who’s wearing what and who’s sleeping with whom. We try to sort out rumor or myth from fact. We thought there must be at least three other people out there who think history’s fascinating and fun, too. This blog is for them.