Alexander Morton (manufacturer)

C. F. A. Voysey
Fabric designed by C. F. A. Voysey for Liberty of London and manufactured by Alexander Morton and Co - on display in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris

Alexander Morton (c. 1844–1923) was a Scottish textiles manufacturer.

In 1875, he founded Alexander Morton and Company in Darvel, Ayrshire.[1] In the 1890s, they had nearly 600 employees.[2] By 1900, they had expanded to Carlisle, England and Killybegs, Ireland (Donegal Carpets).[2] Todays successful Donegal carpet industry owes its origins to Alexander Morton.[3]

They used the services of many designers, especially C. F. A. Voysey, Heywood Sumner and Lindsay Butterfield, and later Cecil Millar and George Henry Walton.[2]

In 1914, he reorganised his business interests, with a new company Morton Sundour being "the major off-shoot".[2][4] It was run by his second son James Morton.[2]

The Victoria and Albert Museum, London holds 774 examples of their fabrics in their collection.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Alexander Morton and Company". Science Museum. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Kornwolf, James D. (1980). "Review of Three Generations in a Family Textile Firm". Technology and Culture. 21 (4): 658-660. doi:10.2307/3104098. JSTOR 3104098. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  3. ^ De Breffny, Brian (1983). Ireland: A Cultural Encyclopedia. London: Thames and Hudson. p. 54.
  4. ^ "Morton Sundour". Companies House. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Alexander Morton". Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Retrieved 12 June 2022.