| ...machine made rugs have a rich history. the machine-made rug industry in the united states began in 1791 when william sprague started the first woven rug mill in philadelphia. others opened during the early 1800s in new england. included in that area was beattie manufacturing company in little falls, new jersey, a company that operated until 1979.
in 1839, erastus bigelow permanently reshaped the ... |
| ... influenced by
the space age 50's, the psychedelic 60's, and the
early mod 70's, scandinavian rya rugs saw a resurgence in popularity in the
west. do not confuse these rugs with lesser priced
machine made rugs that carry the "rya" name. these rugs are hand knotted wool,
and capture a polaroid snapshot of what was happening
in western design in the mid 20th century... |
| ...A complex machine made rug woven to a flexible cotton frame that can contain up to 70 colors of wool. Its invention in 1882 in the midst of the industrial revolution practically destroyed the handknotted rug industry. It was thought that mechanized items were all going to be of superior quality, a theory later shelved... |