Lyon was one of the most important centres for weaving silk for hundreds of years. The working weavers of Lyon called themselves ‘canuts’, which is how the museum gets its name. It is an early example in Europe of preserving industrial heritage: it was set up by a weavers’ cooperative in 1970 to promote silk in Lyon. The collections now belong to the city of Lyon and the building to a cooperative company. The museum reopened after a major refurbishment in 2009. The exhibitions explain the history of making silk, from its discovery in China through the workers’ revolts of the nineteenth century. The invention of the Jacquard loom is vital to the history of silk weaving in France and a working loom is demonstrated. Other displays explain the life-cycle of the silkworm and techniques tor making gold and silver threads to weave into silk cloth.
The House of the Canuts
Maison des Canuts
10/12 rue d'Ivry
69004 Lyon
France
+33 (0) 478 - 286204
Homepage