Le Musée de l’Impression sur Etoffes

During the 18th Century the city of Mulhouse grew rapidly, largely due to the implantation of numerous textile printers. The 19th Century, with its Industrial Revolution, led by the Textile Industry, saw the advent of Mulhouse and the Alsace area as world leaders in the manufacture and marketing of printed cloth. In 1833, a group of textile manufacturers based in and around Mulhouse formed an Industrial Society known as the "Societé Industrielle". They decided to collectively archive the designs they produced. In order to complement their own personal collections they added designs from other countries, and from earlier times. This collection grew in importance to become what is today the premier collection of printed textiles in the world. Over the years the collection has increased, and now boasts over 6 millions samples