Warner & Sons

Warner & Sons was a British textile manufacturer specializing in high-quality woven fabrics, particularly silk and velvet for furnishings, interiors, ceremonial use, and institutional commissions. The business was established in 1870 in Spitalfields, London, a historic centre of silk weaving. Its founder, Benjamin Warner, was a jacquard weaver whose family had been involved in the silk trade since at least the seventeenth century. During its early existence the firm operated under several names, including Warner, Sillet & Ramm, before becoming formally known as Warner & Sons in 1891 after Benjamin Warner’s sons Alfred and Frank joined the business. The company initially built its reputation by reproducing and developing traditional silk designs, while also broadening its range into worsted fabrics, lampas, brocade, and velvet. The expansion into velvet was especially important because it strengthened the firm’s position in the furnishing-textile market. Warner began supplying royal customers around 1880, and its acquisition of Charles Norris & Co. in 1885 helped it secure a royal warrant as a supplier of silks and velvets to royal households. Its customers also included stately homes, palaces, embassies, architects, interior designers, and public institutions in Britain and overseas. In 1895 the company relocated from Spitalfields to Braintree, Essex, taking over buildings associated with the town’s established silk industry. The Braintree site became the central location of the firm’s manufacturing and later became the home of the Warner Textile Archive. During the early twentieth century Warner & Sons combined traditional handcraft knowledge with industrial methods. It introduced powerweaving in 1919, maintained a Paris office from 1919 to 1926, and expanded sales in the United States. In 1926–27 it acquired Dartford Print Works, adding textile block printing capabilities to its weaving operations. Warner’s design programme expanded significantly during the interwar and post-war periods. Alec Hunter took charge of the design studio in 1932 and encouraged the use of freelance artists alongside the company’s established technical skills. The firm supplied fabrics for important architectural and civic projects, including the Royal Institute of British Architects headquarters and the University of London’s Senate House. Its design history includes collaborations or associations with figures such as William Morris, Walter Crane, Augustus Pugin, Vanessa Bell, Edward Bawden, Graham Sutherland, Lynton Lamb, Marianne Straub, Frank Davies, and Howard Hodgkin. After the Second World War, designers Marianne Straub and Frank Davies helped establish Warner & Sons as an innovative as well as traditional manufacturer. Straub joined in 1950 and remained until her retirement in 1970; Davies followed in 1951. Straub’s Surrey design was shown at the 1951 Festival of Britain and became an emblematic example of early post-war textile modernism. Warner also continued to receive ceremonial commissions, including the coronation robes for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and the Queensway Coronation Silk displayed at Westminster Abbey during the coronation ceremony. The firm produced fabrics for public buildings, schools, polytechnics, transport interiors, and commercial spaces. From 1964 Warner wove designs for Isabel Tisdall’s Tamesa Fabrics. Its ability to manufacture short runs, create custom tooling, and apply protective or fire-resistant finishes made it useful for contemporary commercial interiors. Tamesa textiles designed by Straub and Davies were used in settings ranging from aircraft seating to the interiors of the ocean liner QE2. Although weaving at Braintree ended in 1971, the company continued under John Tibbitts, a grandson of Frank Warner, overseeing high-end chintz production for British and American interior-furnishing companies. Warner & Sons closed at the end of March 1990. Its cultural importance continued through the preservation of its extensive archive of fabric samples, paper designs, working documentation, and historical records. Archivists had been employed from 1976, and the collection was subsequently transferred through changing ownership arrangements. After a threat that the archive might be lost, a funding package reported at £2.7 million, involving public bodies and charitable organizations, enabled the collection to pass to the Braintree District Museum Trust. The material is now held at the Warner Textile Archive in the former mill building in Braintree, where it documents approximately two centuries of British textile design and production.

Warner & Sons originated in Spitalfields, London, in 1870, when Benjamin Warner established a silk-weaving business in a district with a long-established textile tradition. The Warner family had been connected with silk production since at least the seventeenth century. In its formative years the enterprise used several business names, including Warner, Sillet & Ramm. It produced high-quality woven silks based on traditional designs and gradually expanded into worsted fabrics, lampas, brocade, and velvet. The company’s early move into velvet helped it develop a strong reputation in furnishing textiles. The firm began supplying royal customers around 1880. In 1885 it acquired Charles Norris & Co., a transaction that contributed to Warner’s position as a supplier of silks and velvets to royal households under a royal warrant. Its work extended beyond royal commissions to stately homes, palaces, embassies, and other prestigious interiors. In 1891 the business adopted the name Warner & Sons after Benjamin Warner’s sons Alfred and Frank became involved. Four years later it moved to Braintree, Essex, taking over premises linked to the town’s silk industry. During the early twentieth century the company strengthened its industrial and international capabilities. It introduced powerweaving in 1919, operated a Paris office between 1919 and 1926, and sold products in the United States. The acquisition of Dartford Print Works in 1926–27 added textile block printing to the company’s manufacturing resources. Warner thus combined woven production with printed design while retaining a premium position in furnishing fabrics. The interwar design programme was shaped by Ernest Goodale, who joined the board in 1928 and became managing director in 1930, and by Alec Hunter, who led the design studio from 1932. Hunter promoted freelance design and encouraged the integration of contemporary visual ideas with historic weaving techniques. The company produced fabrics for major buildings, including the Royal Institute of British Architects headquarters and the University of London Senate House. Post-war Warner & Sons became associated with a new generation of modernist textile design. Marianne Straub joined in 1950 and Frank Davies in 1951. Straub remained with the company until 1970, and her Surrey design was featured at the Festival of Britain in 1951. Warner continued to manufacture luxury silks and velvets while also accepting commissions for public and ceremonial environments. It wove the coronation robes for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and produced the Queensway Coronation Silk displayed at Westminster Abbey. The company also made textiles for schools, polytechnics, and other public buildings under commissions connected with the Ministry of Works. From 1964 Warner manufactured designs created by Straub and Davies for Isabel Tisdall’s Tamesa Fabrics. The arrangement allowed Tamesa to order short production runs, request custom tooling, and specify finishes such as protective and fire-resistant coatings. These capabilities suited the expanding commercial interiors market. Designs associated with the collaboration were used in aircraft interiors, including BEA’s Trident, and on the QE2. Weaving at Braintree ended in 1971. Under John Tibbitts, a grandson of Frank Warner, the business nevertheless continued to supervise production of high-end chintz for British firms such as Colefax & Fowler and American companies including Lee Jofa and Brunschwig and Fils. Warner & Sons finally closed at the end of March 1990. The company’s most enduring legacy is its design archive. Archivists were employed from 1976, and the collection came to include fabric samples, paper designs, business records, and other documentation spanning roughly two centuries. After changes in ownership and concern that the holdings might be dispersed or lost, a £2.7 million funding package involving public and charitable support allowed the collection to be transferred to the Braintree District Museum Trust. The archive is now housed in the original mill building as the Warner Textile Archive.

• 1990

  Company closes

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Warner & Sons closed at the end of March.

• 1976

  Archive preservation programme begins

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Archivists were employed to preserve the firm’s extensive textile designs, samples, and documentation.

• 1971

  Braintree weaving ends

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Weaving ceased at the company’s Braintree site, although the business continued supervising selected furnishing-textile production.

• 1964

  Tamesa Fabrics weaving relationship begins

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Warner began weaving designs by Marianne Straub and Frank Davies for Isabel Tisdall’s Tamesa Fabrics.

• 1953

  Elizabeth II coronation textiles produced

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Warner wove coronation robes for Queen Elizabeth II and produced the Queensway Coronation Silk.

• 1951

  Surrey shown at the Festival of Britain

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Marianne Straub’s Surrey textile design was featured at the Festival of Britain and became associated with post-war textile modernism.

• 1932

  Alec Hunter leads the design studio

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Hunter broadened the studio’s use of freelance designers and combined modern design with traditional weaving techniques.

• 1926

  Dartford Print Works acquired

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition, completed across 1926–27, added textile block printing capabilities.

• 1919

  Powerweaving introduced

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Warner expanded its industrial capabilities by moving into powerweaving and opened a Paris office that operated during the following years.

• 1895

  Relocation to Braintree

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Manufacturing moved from Spitalfields to Braintree, Essex.

• 1891

  Warner & Sons name adopted

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  The company formally became Warner & Sons after Alfred and Frank Warner joined the business.

• 1885

  Acquisition of Charles Norris & Co.

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition strengthened Warner’s furnishing-textile business and its position as a royal supplier.

• 1880

  Royal supply relationship begins

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  The firm began supplying royal customers with high-quality textiles.

• 1870

  Business established in Spitalfields

  [1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Benjamin Warner established the silk-weaving business in Spitalfields, London.

A premium British furnishing-textile manufacturer combining traditional silk-weaving expertise with industrial production, designer collaborations, custom short-run manufacturing, and specialist ceremonial and architectural commissions.

• Woven interior textiles · 1870

  Furnishing silks

  The company’s core product category consisted of high-quality woven silks for curtains, upholstery, wall treatments, ceremonial interiors, and other furnishing applications. Warner combined traditional patterns and jacquard expertise with changing design tastes, supplying private interiors as well as palaces, embassies, public buildings, and transport environments.

• Decorative furnishing textiles

  Velvet, lampas, brocade and worsted fabrics

  Warner expanded beyond silk into velvet, lampas, brocade, and worsted fabrics during its early development. Velvet was particularly significant in establishing the company’s reputation in the furnishing market, while the wider range allowed it to address both traditional interiors and more varied commercial and institutional commissions.

• Textile printing · 1926

  Printed textiles

  Following the acquisition of Dartford Print Works in 1926–27, Warner added block-printed textile production to its weaving capabilities. This broadened the company’s design and manufacturing offer and supported its work across traditional furnishing fabrics and newer interior schemes.

• Modernist furnishing textile · 1951

  Surrey

  Designed by Marianne Straub, Surrey was based on the crystalline structure of afwillite. It was selected for the Festival of Britain in 1951 and used in the Regatta Restaurant, making it one of Warner’s best-known examples of post-war modern textile design.

• Ceremonial textile · 1953

  Queensway Coronation Silk

  Queensway Coronation Silk was designed by Robert Godden and woven by Warner & Sons for the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The silk was hung from the balcony of Westminster Abbey during the ceremony and represented the firm’s continuing role in royal and ceremonial textile production.

• Commercial interior textiles · 1964

  Custom Tamesa fabrics

  From 1964 Warner wove designs by Marianne Straub and Frank Davies for Isabel Tisdall’s Tamesa Fabrics. The service supported short production runs, bespoke tooling, and finishes including protective and fire-resistant coatings. Resulting fabrics were used in commercial interiors, aircraft seating, and the QE2.

• Printed furnishing fabric · 1971

  High-end chintz

  After weaving ended at Braintree, Warner & Sons continued to oversee high-end chintz production for British interior-furnishing businesses such as Colefax & Fowler and American companies including Lee Jofa and Brunschwig and Fils.

• 1976

  Preserve the company archiveStrategy

  Background

  The company’s historic designs and production records represented a substantial record of British textile practice.

  Action taken

  Warner employed archivists and developed educational access to its fabric samples, paper designs, and related documentation.

  Aftermath

  The preservation effort helped make possible the later transfer of the collection to the Braintree District Museum Trust as the Warner Textile Archive.

  Source

• 1971

  End weaving at BraintreeStrategy

  Background

  The company’s historic Braintree weaving operation was no longer maintained as an active manufacturing activity.

  Action taken

  Warner & Sons stopped weaving at the Braintree site while continuing to supervise selected high-end furnishing-fabric production.

  Aftermath

  The business became more focused on design oversight and specialist chintz production before closing in 1990.

  Source

• 1964

  Support Tamesa’s bespoke commercial-textile programmeStrategy

  Background

  Tamesa Fabrics required flexibility for contemporary commercial interiors, including limited runs and specialized finishes.

  Action taken

  Warner wove designs by Marianne Straub and Frank Davies and provided custom tooling and protective or fire-resistant finishing options.

  Aftermath

  The resulting fabrics reached prominent architectural, aviation, and marine interiors, including BEA Trident aircraft and the QE2.

  Source

• 1926

  Acquire Dartford Print WorksM&A

  Background

  Warner’s woven-textile business could be broadened through ownership of specialist printing capabilities.

  Action taken

  The company acquired the textile block printing firm Dartford Print Works during 1926–27.

  Aftermath

  Warner gained an expanded manufacturing platform spanning woven and printed textiles.

  Source

• 1919

  Adopt powerweaving and pursue overseas marketsStrategy

  Background

  The company needed to extend production capacity and sales beyond its traditional British customer base.

  Action taken

  Warner entered powerweaving, operated a Paris office from 1919 to 1926, and expanded sales into the United States.

  Aftermath

  The business combined traditional luxury textile expertise with more industrial and international operations.

  Source

• 1895

  Move manufacturing to BraintreeStrategy

  Background

  The company sought a larger or more suitable manufacturing base while remaining connected to Britain’s silk industry.

  Action taken

  Warner & Sons relocated from Spitalfields to Braintree, Essex, taking over buildings previously used by the silk industry.

  Aftermath

  Braintree became the firm’s principal manufacturing location and later housed the preserved Warner Textile Archive.

  Source

• 1990

  Warner & Sons closes after more than a century of textile production[1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The company ceased operations at the end of March 1990, following the end of weaving at its Braintree location in 1971 and a later period focused on high-end furnishing fabrics.

• Warner textile collection preserved through public and charitable funding[1]Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The company’s fabric samples, paper designs, and records were preserved after concerns that the collection could be lost. Funding involving government bodies, the Art Fund, and the Clothworkers’ Foundation enabled the archive to pass to the Braintree District Museum Trust.

1. 1Warner & Sonsen.wikipedia.org