McCaw Allan

We are delighted to sponsor this exhibition and publication, which celebrates the Lurgan linen industry through the tea towel designs of McCaw Allan (now part of the Samuel Lamont Group). The firm, established in 1904, is the last survivor of over 30 linen businesses that formerly operated in the town, which together established Lurgan as a leading centre of linen manufacture in Ulster.

Warehoused within its premises at Victoria Street are historical examples of the tea towels, which once formed part of McCaw Allan’s flourishing linen trade, before other fabrics supplanted it. The designs, eye-popping colours and finishing of the tea towels are an enduring tribute to the creativity and skill of the McCaw Allan workforce, while also offering an insight into changing tastes and manufacturing processes over the past 50+ years.

Special thanks are due to Douglas Mowbray, who first joined McCaw Allan as a 15 year old apprentice in 1972, for providing access to the tea towel archive. We are also grateful to Robert Peters for curating the exhibition; Fiona McKelvie for her following insightful essay contextualising the exhibition; and Robert Martin and Anthea McWilliams for hosting the exhibition at the R-Space Gallery, Lisburn.

David Weir

Education and Activities Officer, Lurgan Townscape Heritage Scheme