Stockholm City Silk Manufacture 1688-1693
This essay analyses in detail some previously unused records (in the Stockholm City Archives) from a silk factory, founded in Stockholm in 1688 and declared bankrupt in 1693. It was the second silk factory in Sweden, the first one founded in 1649 by the Dutchman Jacob van Utenhoven.
King Charles XI took the initiative in founding the factory, the City of Stockholm was the owner. The Director was a Frenchman, Michel E BaiIlet. Many of the workers were French, Dutch and German and had been employed at the Royal Silk Manufacture in Copenhagen, but dissatisfied with their conditions they were enticed to Stockholm with their families. We know of 43 masters, weavers, dyers, gummers and pattern drawers (see note 4). At least 200 people were employed.
An inventory of the bankrupt stock, dated February 1695, gives silks in 775 entries, all together not less than 18770 113 Brabantells (13 097 meters). Denominations, colours and price perell and per piece are given. Above all caffa, bordaloux (a thin figured silk), damask, plush and "trip" (a course patterned velvet) are recorded. Velvets, satins and taffetas, the most fashionable fabrics, were probably sold out before the inventory was made. Fabrics were made both for fashion and upholstery. We discuss why it was not possible to sell all this silk (too expensive, badly made?).
The most popular colours of the day were aurora (orange), isabelle (light yellowish gray), muscus (nutmeg) and green. We find rather wild combinations of colours as green, aurora and lemon or aurora and violet and also black and lemon.
The fabrics woven with silver or gold were the most expensive. Caffa and plush with their long pile required much silk, and brocade required much work which made them most expensive, while the thin silk gauze was the cheapest fabric of all.
The tools listed for weaving, spinning, dyeing etc. give an idea of the working conditions in the separate workshops.
