Punch Cards
Punch cards have been used to control the operation of machinery from the early nineteenth century, when the Frenchman Joseph Marie Jacquard patented an attachment to a loom in which a series of punched cards (one for each row of the weave) controlled the threads raised in producing the pattern. Versions of the Jacquard loom were adopted only in France but Great Britain, United States, and around the world. The Textiles collection at NMAH contains extensive materials relating to Jacquard-style loom attachments. These include designs for fabrics woven with them, cards and sets of cards, a machine for cutting such cards, and related patent models. In addition, Textiles has coverlets, shawls, and fabric samples woven with such looms.