Ribbon weaving loom

A visit to Coventry Museum today where I saw this amazing loom. Apparently ribbon weaving was Coventry’s main industry from about 1700 to 1860. Around half the population made a living from this until 1860 when the government signed a treaty with the French and their ribbons became cheaper. Desperate weavers sold their homes, clothes and even their looms and many emigrated to America. Coventry’s ribbon industry never recovered from this.