Untitled (Linear Flowers)
designed by Mahler, Marion,
manufactured by David Whitehead Ltd., about 1953
This roller printed rayon textile was designed by Marion Mahler in 1953 for David Whitehead Ltd.
Leading textile manufacturer David Whitehead Ltd used cost-effective textiles and machine printing to produce modern patterns by named designers. Their fabrics were affordable to British consumers in the 1950s, and were especially popular among young, design-conscious people.
This design is very similar to Lucienne Day’s famous and hugely successful ‘Calyx’ pattern which was first produced a couple of years previously. The strong influence of Day’s design can be clearly seen in this pattern.
This length of material was found in a linen cupboard in a Victorian house. The house had been updated in the 1950s by removing most of the Victorian features and re-decorating to modern 1950s tastes. This textile was used to make curtains and bedcovers.