Join us for the first in a series of online talks focusing on the shawl collection cared for by Paisley Museum. The online talk series is funded by Museums Galleries Scotland. It will be hosted by author and broadcaster Vanessa Collingridge. Vanessa will be joined by different guest speakers highlighting a variety of stories related to our shawl collection.

Subjects will include the history of shawl production in Paisley and Renfrewshire during the 19th century, the wider international context of the shawl and pattern, and how the collection is now cared for. Paisley Museum is currently closed, undergoing a major redevelopment as part of the £42 million Paisley Museum Re-imagined Project. It will reopen in 2023.

Hidden Histories of the Paisley Museum Shawl Collection, delivered by Catriona Baird

In the first talk of the series, Catriona Baird, Textiles Curator for the Paisley Museum Re-Imagined Project will discuss the background of the large collection of shawls which the museum now holds. Catriona will share insights into some of the key shawl donations to the museum over the past 100 years. She'll tell the stories of specific people and local families who were involved, and take a look at a range of fascinating objects from the collection.

As an established centre of skilled textile production from the 1700s, Paisley quickly become involved in the new fashion in Europe for ‘imitation Indian’ shawls, copies of luxurious Kashmir shawls with their distinctive teardrop shaped motif. The town was successful in its ability to innovate and develop western textile technologies to produce large numbers of the shawls. In doing so, by the 19th century it had become a main centre for the textile trade. This resulted in the curved motif eventually becoming known as ‘Paisley’ in much of the English speaking world.

This online event will include a short Q&A session with the speaker at the end of the talk.

Paisley Museums’ shawl collection is one of the Museum Galleries Scotland Recognised Collections of National Significance.