Weaving Museum

Bussières is a village of about 1,500 people 70 km west of Lyons in the Beaujolais region in the department of Loire. There have been weavers in the community since the Middle Ages, but the weaving of silk became particularly important in the mid-19th century. Following a strike of weavers in Lyons in 1831 some manufacturers moved production to country areas, and the silk industry in Bussières began to flourish, reaching a peak of prosperity in the early 20th century. Some factories were then operating but many weavers still worked in their own homes. The industry subsequently contracted, and the last domestic weavers ceased working about 1960.The idea of a museum of weaving in the village was put forward in 1977, and an old workshop owned by the community was used to display both looms and the fabrics produced on them. Initially it was open only on the second Sunday of each month, but the collection grew and visitor numbers increased. In 1993 the community acquired an old factory, once owned by the Braud company, and the museum occupied it from 1998. Visitors can now see displays about the history of silk weaving in Bussières, together with an assortment of looms, including some of the Jacquard looms used to produce intricate designs. There are regular demonstrations by experienced weavers.

 

Weaving Museum
Musée de Tissage
Place Vancanson
42510 Bussières
France
+33 (0) 477 - 273395
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