Scarce Victorian Stevengraph – Death of Nelson.

In mid-19th century England, the town of Coventry was the centre of a ribbon weaving industry. In 1860 the Cobden–Chevalier Treaty was signed; this free trade treaty introduced new competition into the industry, leading to a collapse in the local economy.
Thomas Stevens, a local weaver, responded by adapting the Jacquard looms used in Coventry to weave colourful pictures from silk. By 1862, Stevens could produce four different designs and by the late 1880s this had grown to over 900; they became known as "Stevengraphs", after their maker.
This example shows the Death of Nelson (1805) beautifully detailed still with nice bright colours, produced around 1885 – 1890. It comes in excellent condition with no fading and in its original mount but, what looks like a 1930’s frame, which is glazed and in good condition. It measures 10.5 x 8.75 inches.

Code: 30703