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HENRY TAUNT AT WITNEY BLANKET HALL

Witney Blanket Hall The Home of Witney Blankets

Henry Taunt (1842-1922) was one of the first professional photographers in Oxfordshire. He trained with Edward Bracher in Oxford High Street, and in 1868, set up on his own. Taunt was a prolific photographer, especially of the River Thames, and when he died he left over 50 thousand glass negatives. During the 1890s, he was commissioned to photograph blanket making in Witney, and here are some of his evocative photographs…

Henry Taunt, photographer, at Witney Blanket Hall
St Mary's Church, Witney by Henry Taunt

St Mary's Church, Witney

WITNEY BLANKET HALL

Witney Blanket Hall by Henry Taunt

Witney Blanket Hall while it was H Long, the ironmongers

Witney Blanket Hall by Henry Taunt

Witney Blanket Hall

Witney Mills by Henry Taunt

Witney Mill

Carding for Witney blankets by Henry Taunt

A carding engine, with a basket of spun mule cops in the foreground

Spinning for Witney blankets by Henry Taunt

A spinning mule, on which yarn is spun

hand warping for Witney blankets by Henry Taunt

Hand warping (the warp is the set of threads which run the length of the cloth)

Hand weaving Witney blankets by Henry Taunt

Hand weaving

Bleaching Witney blankets by Henry Taunt

Bleaching woollen blankets

Tenterframes for Witney blankets by Henry Taunt

Stretch and drying blankets on a tenterframe

Tenterframes (and hooks) for Witney blankets by Henry Taunt

Putting blankets on a tenterframe (note the foreground tenterhooks)

Using teasels to raise Witney blankets by Henry Taunt

Hand-raising blankets using teasels

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