Aldred Farrer Barker
First President of the Textile Society of Australia, Aldred Farrer Barker, was Professor of
Textile Industries at Bradford Technical College from 1892 to 1914.
First son of flannel manufacturer Benjamin Barker
(Junior) and his wife Ellen Farrer, Aldred Farrer
Barker was born in Oulton, Leeds in 1868.
He graduated as Master of Science from the
University of Leeds and became Headmaster of
the Textile Department at Saltaire Technical School.
In 1892 he was appointed Professor of Textile
Industries at Bradford Technical College and lived
at 44 Ashgrove, and in 1914 Professor of Textile
Industries at Leeds University. After 1933 he was
Emeritus Professor. Aldred was awarded the Textile
Institute Medal in 1931.
He wrote many books and papers about Textile
Design and processes including An Introduction
to the Study of Textile Design; Cloth Analysis;
Ornamentation and Textile Design; Textiles; The
Educational Value of Textile Studies; The Wool
Year Book; Wool Carding and Combing; University
Ideals Wool and the Textile Industries; Woollen
and Worsted Spinning and Genetics and Wool
Production.
He also wrote about the Textile Industries of
Canada, the United States, China, Japan, Kashmir,
Kenya, Peru, Rhodesia and South Africa, as well as
the wonderfully titled publication Camping with
Motor Car and Camera.
Aldred took out patents on a ‘Hand Mechanical
Fleece Deburring Machine’ and ‘Improvements in
Beds for Cloth Cropping Machines.’
In 1924, Aldred wrote a Report to the State
Government of Victoria upon the wool
manufacturing industry of Victoria, and later
became First President of the Textile Society of
Australia, going to live in Portland, Victoria.
Aldred became a Member of the Weavers’
Company and Citizen of London, Vice President
of a number of Textile Societies and a Foundation
Member of the Thoresby Society, Leeds.
He died in July 1964 in Australia.
Photograph supplied by the University of Leeds