Stevengraphs are pictures woven from silk, originally created by Thomas Stevens in the 19th century. In the mid-19th century the town of Coventry, England, was the centre of a ribbon weaving industry. In 1860 the Cobden–Chevalier Treaty was signed; this free trade treaty introduced new competition into the industry, leading to a collapse in the local economy. Thomas Stevens, a local weaver, responded by adapting the Jacquard looms used in Coventry to weave colourful pictures from silk. By 1862, Stevens could produce four different designs and by the late 1880s this had grown to over 900; they became known as "Stevengraphs", after their maker. Many of these designs were used to produce bookmarks, while others were used to make greeting cards and other silk objects.A "Stevengraph marker" woven (loom) in Coventry, England. A collectors item. Religious theme with choir boys in black and white and text mounted on card.'We promise thee O God' T. Stevens. Coventry textile, weaving, ecclesiastical, england, late 19th century

Woven silk bookmarks, or Stevengraphs were popularised by Stevens & Co of Coventry from the 1860s and other companies soon entered the industry. The Australian colonists from Britain also used these popular markers. Today they are keenly sought by collectors.A bookmark of silk as a Stevengraph by Thomas Stevens & Co Coventry. bookmark, stevengraph, coventry

This bookmark was found loose inside one of our antiquarian books and no connection to the book or its unknown original owner have been found. The word Mizpah means Watchtower in Hebrew and a Mizpah card or bookmark was sent or given to Jewish people who were separated from their loved ones, with the message that the Lord was watching over those absent. The bookmark has been made by the firm of Thomas Stevens of Coventry. This city was the English centre of ribbon weaving in the 19th century and Thomas Stevens, a local weaver, invented and developed in the 1860s the art of making woven silk items - book marks, greeting cards, art works etc. These were called Stevengraphs. Stevens opened a factory in London in 1878 and by the 1880s was producing over 900 woven silk designs. Stevengraphs are a collectors' Items today and this Mizpah bookmark is a fine example of one.This is a woven silk bookmark with multi-coloured patterns. coloured script and a sprig of fuchsia flowers, all on a yellow background. There is a red tassel at the end of the bookmark. The bookmark was affixed to a rectangular sheet of paper containing details of the maker but the bookmark is now detached. The backing sheet is partly torn.Mizpah The Lord watch between Me and thee when we are Absent one from anotherreligious book marks, stevengraphs, mizpah, woven bookmark, mizpah bookmark

An American produced Stevengraph. An early twentieth century example of a woven silk bookmark from manufacturer in New Jersey, USA for the town's 200th anniversary of founding.abbington, centenaries, usa, silk

Early woven bookmarks were introduced by Coventry weavers J.Cash in the 1860s but rival Thomas Stevens soon became pre-eminent in the production of Stevengraphs which included woven bookmarks such as this. Stevens later expanded to London but ceased production in the late 19th century.This is a woven silk bookmark with multi-coloured patterns featuring a neo-gothic surround and three praying women. The tassel normally at the end of these bookmarks is missing. This is a fine example of the company's larger bookmarks.bookmark, stevengraph, coventry, silk, weaving, neo-gothic

This bookmark forms part of the large collection of stevengraph bookmarks in the Hymettus collection at Ballarat, arguably the largest collection of bookmarks in Australia. It is housed in Hymettus an historic property first opened to the public in 1917 and one of the first garden properties to be part of the Victorian Open Garden scheme in 1987 remaining open and a poular tourist attraction for the following decade.Woven silk bookmarks were popularised by Stevens & Co of Coventry from the 1860s and other companies soon entered the industry. The Australian colonists from Britain also used these popular markers.bookmark, stevengraph, weaving, silk

Made by the firm of Thomas Stevens of Coventry, the English centre of ribbon weaving in the 19th century. Thomas Stevens, a local weaver, invented and developed in the 1860s the art of making woven silk items - book marks, greeting cards, art works etc, called Stevengraphs. Stevens opened a factory in London in 1878 and by the 1880s was producing over 900 woven silk designs as described on the backing sheet with this example. Stevengraphs are now collectors' Items and this bookmark included on its original marketing sheet is a good example of the company's mid sized range of bookmarks.This is a woven silk bookmark with multi-coloured patterns. coloured script and a sprig of roses, all on a white background. There is a yellow tassel at the end of the bookmark. The bookmark is affixed to a rectangular sheet of paper containing details of the makerstevengraph

This is a silk picture woven by the highly acclaimed French jacquard loom woven tapestry maker Neyret Freres. The scene is derived from a painting by Spanish artist Mariano Alonzo Perez (1853-1930). This style of weaving is referred to as a Stevengraph, named for their original creator, Thomas Stevens (1828-1888), a 19th century weaver from Coventry, England. Neyret Freres began manufacturing textiles in 1823, and are still in operation today. Silk embroidery in a decorative gilt frame. The scene depicts a group of women taking a fencing lesson, under the guidance of a male teacher. Two women are pictured pointing sabres at each other at the centre of the image, while four other women look on at the right of the image. The teacher is shown on the left hand side of the image, holding a sabre in his right hand which is pointing downwards so that the tip of his sabre is resting against the floor. All figures in the image are wearing Victorian era dress. There is a sticker for Gibson's Auctioneers attached to the bottom right hand corner of the front of the artwork. Two small stickers for Gibson's Auctioneers are attached to the back of the artwork, as well as a sticker referencing the framer of the work and a shipping sticker for International Art Services. Two d-rings and a wire fitting are attached to the back of the artwork for hanging.

This is a silk picture woven by the highly acclaimed French jacquard loom woven tapestry maker Neyret Freres. The scene is derived from a painting by Spanish artist Mariano Alonzo Perez (1853-1930). This style of weaving is referred to as a Stevengraph, named for their original creator, Thomas Stevens (1828-1888), a 19th century weaver from Coventry, England. Neyret Freres began manufacturing textiles in 1823, and are still in operation today. Silk embroidery in a decorative gilt frame. The scene depicts a Victorian era billiards room. An ornate billiard table is at the centre of the image. At the near end of the table, two men are crouching down and leaning over the table, examining billiard balls while holding billiard cues in their left hands. At the far end of the table, a woman is sitting on the corner of the billiard table while holding a billiard cue in her left hand, in an intimate face to face pose with a man standing behind the billiard table. All figures are depicted in Victorian era aristocratic dress. The bottom right corner of the images features the signature 'D'A. PEREZ'. Three small stickers for Gibson's Auctioneers are attached to the back of the artwork, as well as a sticker referencing the framer of the work and a shipping sticker for International Art Services. Two d-rings and a wire fitting are attached to the back of the artwork for hanging.

This bookmark was found in a book called 'The English Lakes' owned by Elizabeth Chatham-Holmes. The bookmark is a Stevenograph. In 1854 Thomas Stevens began with weaving plain and fancy ribbons, but was soon experimenting with a development of jacquard weaving to produce pictures. For this, the picture was plotted on squared paper, in the fashion of a cross-stitch embroidery design, and a large card then perforated to represent each colour appearing in every "line" of the picture. The cards, arranged in an endless chain and attached to the loom, controlled the manipulation of the warp threads. Each time the shuttle crossed the loom a different card came into use, changing the arrangement of the warp threads and, consequently, the pattern woven..When the industry collapsed in 1860, Stevens determined to make use of his experiments by producing pictures in such variety as to appeal to all tastes. The earliest productions seem to have been bookmarkers... The pictures included portraits of celebrities and local scenes, scriptural texts, hymns and psalms, and verses from the poets. Stevens also introduced to the Admiralty a hat ribbon with the name of the ship woven in gold wire. This he patented; it was adopted and for many years the firm was the sole supplier to the Admiralty Contracts Department. https://stevengraphs.com/thomstevandh.html Also found in the book was a small card with dried flowers glued with the words 'Flowers from the Holy Land' and a WW2 photograph of the bust of a man in uniform with a cap..1) Red hard covered book called 'The English Lakes' by W.T. Palmer. .2) Woven silk bookmark with white (now cream) and yellow background and red, purple, green and yellow detail and the start of Psalm 23 woven into the bookmark. Possibly made in the late nineteenth century. .3) Small card with dried flowers glued with the words Flowers from the Holy Land .4) WW2 photograph of the bust of a man in uniform with a cap. .1) Inside front cover "E.S. Holmes Ascot" .2) Woven into the bookmark - The Lord is my Shepard I shall not want, & T. Stevens, Coventry .3) Printed on the front - Flowers from the Holy Land, Placed on the Holy Sepulchreholmes, ec holmes, ascot, religious, religion, bookmark, english lakes, w.t. palmer, chatham-holmes collection, flowers from the the holy land, stevengraph

MIZPAH, or 'May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from the other', From the scriptures it is a common Jewish saying that is a spiritual symbol of hope and love and peace between two people.Made by T. Stevens, Coventry for the Jewish market. Popular worldwide and demonstrates Steven's use of religious festivals as commemoratives for marketing his woven silk bookmarks. MIzpah a spiritual symbol of hope and love and peace between two people.stevengraph, bookmark, mizpah, jewish

E. Bollans & Co were manufacturers of woven silk materials using the jacquard loom as had Stevens and others in Coventry and were based in Leamington England. Like Stevens and Cash's, their bookmarks were popular in the late nineteenth century and the Australian colonies being British, were also a good market.On the selvige turnover, E. Bollans & Co Leamington.bollans, stevengraph, leamington, weaving, silk

One of the smaller stevengraph bookmarks made using the jacquard loom for weaving the silk ribbons and in this example carrying New Year wishes.bookmark, stevengraph

green silk tassleGreting Wishing you prosperity and health woven into bookmark in red and green.t. stevens, stevengraph, silk, bookmark

fairy tales, red riding hood, bookmark, silk, weaving, stevengraph

stevengraph

Stevengraphs are today a popular hobby for collectors. However many came to the Australian colonies in the Victorian erabookmark, stevengraph, silk, weaving, coventry

bookmark, stevengraph, silk

bookmark, stevengraph, silk