There are few museums in Canada that can boast having a 19th century Jacquard Loom in their collection. The Lowry Jacquard Loom at Lang Pioneer Village was purchased by a young man named Samuel Lowry who was born in Warsaw, Ontario in 1862. He worked as a weaver in Warsaw from 1884 to 1888 then moved to Peterborough and established a business at 172 Hunter Street. His main products were carpets, flannel and horse blankets which were sold to clients from Lakefield to Hastings and Warkworth to Omemee. In 1887, his salary totaled $429.42 but by 1905 he couldn't compete with the large woolen mills in the area and went to work at the Toronto Carpet Company. Samuel returned to Peterborough in 1907 and continued weaving until 1909 when he headed west to seek a more profitable line of work.



Lowry's collection of looms were left to his landlord, Mr. Buller, as payment for a $200 debt owed in back rent. They remained in the Buller family until 1967 when the looms and account books of Samuel were purchased at an auction sale by Mrs. John Moes (herself a Master Weaver) who later donated them to the museum.

In 2004, extensive restoration of the Lowry Jacquard Loom was completed by Dider Schvartz, a master weaver who had handcrafted over 150 looms in his career. Mr. Schvartz conducted a meticulous restoration of the loom involving hundreds of hours of research to carefully maintain the authenticity of the artifact by using historically accurate materials. Although the loom has no marking he ascertained that it was originally built in Scotland due to its construction. The loom was manufactured for at-home use and is believed to have been built between 1840 and 1860. Beyond this date, Jacquard's were manufactured specifically for factories to meet the demands of the Industrial Revolution. Mr. Schvartz discovered that that there were originally three Jacquard heads for the loom and that Samuel Lowry used one head to make repairs on the two that are remaining.

Mr. Schvartz has been in contact with manufacturers around the globe to obtain authentic materials for the restoration. For example, the string which will be used to thread the loom must be twisted and waxed for strength and longevity. Over 6 km of this string is required to create the 8,000 strings needed for the final looms. Mr. Schvartz located a company in Canada which manufactures this type of thread for motor windings and which meets the requirements of the loom. The brass eyelets needed for the loom heads were imported from Europe by Mr. Schvartz and are no longer being manufactured. Over 1,500 lingos (the lead weights that hold the thread in place) will be manufactured by a factory in Hamilton.

The restoration project was made possible through the generosity of several organizations including $5,000 from the Sharon Nelson Memorial Fund, $5,000 from former Peterborough County Warden Neal Cathcart, $5,000 from former Peterborough County Warden Ron Gerow, $10,000 from the Community Futures Development Corporation as part of the Eastern Ontario Regional Development Initiative and $22,000 from the Chawkers Foundation.

The Chawkers Foundation was presented with the 2005 Charlotte Nicholls Award by the Peterborough Historical Society. The Charlotte Nicholls Award is presented to individuals or groups who make substantial financial donations for the preservation and/or recognition of important historic sites or artifacts in the Peterborough area. The work of Didier Schvartz in restoring the Samuel Lowry Jacquard loom was also formally acknowledged in this award.

On June 10, 2005, Didier Schvartz was presented with a Peterborough County Heritage Preservation Award for his work in restoring the Lowry Jacquard Loom. This award is presented to an individual or group that makes a significant contribution in the promotion of heritage and the preservation of the history of Peterborough County.

In January of 2010, Peterborough County Council approved funding for the completion of a new "Weaver's Shop" which will be built on site to house the loom. The building will be a reproduction of a late 19th century weaver's shop and will provide visitors with an opportunity to see the restored Lowry Jacquard Loom as well as a fully operational, reproduction Jacquard Loom. An exhibit/educational area will demonstrate the step-by-step process of how fleece from a sheep becomes a woven fabric. The plans for the new building are complete and the construction is expected to be completed by April 30, 2010. It will take several months to prepare the exhibit as our museum has two antique looms to reconstruct. A ribbon cutting ceremony to dedicate the new building will take place at Lang Pioneer Village Museum's Heritage Celebration week-end, August 14 & 15, 2010. The official opening of the Jacquard Loom exhibit is anticipated for the spring of 2011.  

To make a donation to the Lowry Jacquard Loom Restoration Project please click here.