John Kay Inventor of Metal Reeds and Fly Shuttle

Thomas 'Oldham' Barlow 1829 - 1889

Summary

A portrait of John Kay, inventor of the 'fly shuttle', patented 1733, a development which made weaving faster and thus hastened the industrial revolution. Kay is shown as young and smooth-skinned here, and he wears a tricorne hat, This copy of the print remains in its mount from the Horsfall Museum, an educational museum in Ancoats, Manchester (extant 1886-1953). The mount has been inscribed with Kay's inventions, where 'METAL REEDS' has been placed before 'FLY SHUTTLE'.