Factory printed cloth

Factory print cloth may be manufactured in Europe or Asia for the African market or be made in an African factory and sold anywhere. Generally identified with bright colors and bold designs, it assumes a local name and symbolic meaning. One reason for success of factory printed cloth is the widespread practice of dressing alike for special events--weddings, funerals, anniversaries and especially for political events. Another is the quantity of cloth needed to make an outfit. Factory printed cloth is typically sold in 6 yard lots to women for a skirt and top, plus a shawl or head tie. It may be kept uncut as stored wealth.

The 1920s-1930s saw the introduction of Fancy cloth, large plain blocks of color with photographic imagery. Popular during colonial times, this technique became particularly important with independence. An official visit by Queen Elizabeth II was planned to the colony of Sierra Leone in 1959 as part of her tour of the Commonwealth. The trip was cancelled due to her pregnancy and several commemorative cloth designs already in the shops languished on shelves. The trip, with Prince Philip, finally occured in 1961, the year of Sierra Leone's independence. This cloth combines images of flags, crowns, the Queen and Government House in Freetown.

Dark blue and white factory printed cloth with a repeating pattern featuring a central 3/4 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in wreath medallions. Banners reading "1959 SIERRA LEONE 1959" appear above and banners reading "QUEEN ELIZABETH II" appear below. The top border features crowns, shields and flags, while the bottom border features an image of the Sierra Leone Governement House and is labeled "GOVERNMENT HOUSE FREETOWN." Repeat is 40.6 cm (16 in.).

Unknown designer, unknown factory, Sierra Leone; purchased by unknown vendor, Sierra Leone, by 1959; sold at a market in Sierra Leone to Lilburne Theurer Senn (born 1930) and Donald A. Theurer (1927-1996), Freetown or Signal Hill, Sierra Leone, 1959 [1]; by descent to Lilburne Theurer Senn, Clemson, S.C., 1996; donated to the National Museum of African Art, Washington, D.C., 2002.

[1] Donald Theurer worked for Ford Motor Company in Sierra Leone, while Lilburne Theurer operated a hostel travelers and tourists (in Freetown, 1956-1959 and in Signal Hill, 1959-1962)

Festival of African American Literature and the Arts, The Brooks Center, Clemson University, South Carolina, September 17-21, 2001

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