It was a case of deja vouse obtaining information toward the article ' RUGS OF THE YOUNG FRANCIS BACON ' recently published in Hali Magazine issue 162 by Jean Manuel de Norohna and myself from the Donegal Carpet Factory at Killybegs Co. Donegal , Eire. As it was found that the archive there suffered the same fate as that of Wilton having been mostly destroyed upon acquisition in the mid 1980s.
The business has now been put up for sale as it seems the drastic scaling back of the Celtic Tiger economy has even reached this remote corner of Ireland. Presently the heritage centre occupies the old factory where the looms are retained. If anybody is interested in acquiring the last remaining handknotting carpet factory in Western Europe than please go to:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.businessesforsale.ie/uploads/a441d604-de52-49da-8aaa-b4777c002425.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.businessesforsale.ie/irish/Historic-Donegal-Carpets-Business-For-Sale.aspx&usg=__mKpDgDXLeoA-6Qtm_nka57XOuDY=&h=200&w=200&sz=45&hl=en&start=7&um=1&tbnid=KzmXwXx_SrKLNM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dalexander%2Bmorton%2Bcarpet%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

Or speak direct to Michael Mc Daid on 00 353 74 9739810

Toward researching the article ' RUGS OF THE YOUNG FRANCIS BACON ' recently published in Hali Magazine issue 162 by Jean Manuel de Norohna and myself it became important to obtain information from The Royal Wilton Carpet Factory. Having been taken over successively in recent years we were informed by the present company that the archive was destroyed twice over once in 1970 and again in the 1980s. The pursuit of evidence lead us to newly constructed The Swindon and Wiltshire History Centre in Chippenham Wiltshire where the remaining archive was discovered. The archive today contains photos, accounts, technical information and ephemera.

Records may be followed online via
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/results.aspx?tab=2&Page=1&ContainAllWords=2583&Repository=Wiltshire+and+Swindon+Archives


Wiltshire History Centre in Chippenham

Wilton designers preparing cartoons and art work - circa 1925?



Wilton weavers hand knotting a carpet on a very large loom frame circa 1925?
Location unknown possibly the main weaving sheds at the main mill at Wilton near Salisbury

A scene from Jack Poyastro's London repair workshop probably 1920s.
The rugs being repaired are mostly Turkish an Anatolian kilim is far right.

For more on the inter-war London Trade go to :
http://www.orient-rug.com/rw_pages/history/cutler/rw_cutler_we_II.html

Photograph courtesy of Robert Aigin

This press clipping from the London Times 1929, unearthed during the construction of our Studios in 1997.

Clearly shows that there is nothing new about the turbulent situation in Afghanistan.