The Jacquard Loom, at the Heart of Silk Weaving
Interview with Cédric Brochier – Erasme, A web documentary on the textile industry of the Lyon Metropolis
Silk weaving is the art of crossing silk threads vertically and horizontally. The weave of the fabric defines the mode of interlacing the warp and weft threads. There are many types of weaves such as plain, twill, and satin, each containing a multitude of combinations.
Operated using punched cards, the Jacquard mechanism allows each warp thread of the loom to be raised or lowered independently of all others. It operates on the same principle as a barrel organ. A hole in the card causes the thread to rise. No hole, the thread remains in place. This is the binary language invented by the Lyonnais Joseph Marie, known as “Jacquard,” in 1801, the ancestor of computer language.
The Jacquard mechanism has been at the heart of innovations developed by the Brochier family. Today, it remains an indispensable tool for modern, mechanized, and computerized looms.
Brochier Soieries now owns one of the largest single-thread looms, individually controlling 18,700 threads thanks to its Jacquard mechanism.