50 objects

The Lancashire County Museum Service is 50 years old this year. To celebrate we will be exploring the history of Lancashire, its people, places and traditions through 50 objects in our collections.

Covering 9000 years of history and spanning the geography of the county, we will tell the story of Lancashire's origins including its settlers and invaders, our industries, our military heritage, our food and our famous seaside!

Each week we will release a new object representing a different aspect of the county and its history, celebrating the wealth and diversity of our heritage.

From Wednesday 29 May 2024 you can also see selected objects on display in one of our libraries or museums and attend one of our many 50 object events which will be added each week throughout the year.

This week's object:

A large mechanical loom

Powered loom

One of the first powered looms patented in 1789 by Edmund Cartwright, one weaver could work one loom at 120-130 picks per minute: using the 1848 Kenworthy and Bullough Lancashire Loom, one weaver could run four looms working at 220-260 picks per minute, thus giving eight times more throughput. Further refinements were made, but the 'Lancashire' remained the standard for the next sixty years.

This powered loom will be on display at Queen Street Mill until 12 June 2025