Tierney, Josephine (2019) From design to consumption : the export trade in printed and dyed textiles to British West Africa, c.1870-1914. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis examines the export of British printed and dyed textiles to West Africa from the 1870s to 1914. Economic histories of trade within the British Empire have emphasised the commercial advantages of the colonies and the ways in which the Empire facilitated British overseas trade. It has been argued that the accessibility of colonial markets, and the privileging of British goods within these markets, allowed British merchants to unload surplus production and unsuitable goods on passive colonial consumers. However, these narratives have failed to acknowledge the material evidence of the trade, in the extant pattern books and textiles samples. This thesis examines these artefacts of the trade as a lens through which to reconsider the potential agency of colonial consumers and the extent to which British trade responded to the demands of these markets.

This thesis concludes that the printed and dyed textiles exported to West Africa during this period were designed to suit the tastes and demands of West African consumers. The material evidence of the trade illustrates that the British textile industry employed a number of mechanisms to produce goods which met the specific demands of the West African markets. This was achieved through the creation of specialist designs, technological innovations and the adaptation of existing manufacturing processes. British merchants understood the importance of satisfying the tastes of the consumer and the industry adapted to meet these requirements. The production, distribution and marketing of textiles for West African markets became increasingly specialised as the textile industry responded to growing foreign competition and the decline of British dominance in global trade. The expansion of the British Empire in West Africa did not lead to the indiscriminate export of surplus production or unsuitable goods. This thesis argues that while the imperial framework offered some advantages, British merchants continued to recognise the importance of the consumer and the need to cater to their tastes.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DT Africa H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HF Commerce
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Textile industry -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century, Textile industry -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century, Textile fabrics -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century, Textile fabrics -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century, Textile fabrics -- Africa, English-speaking West -- History -- 19th century, Textile fabrics -- Africa, English-speaking West -- History -- 20th century, Great Britain -- Commerce -- Africa, English-speaking West -- History -- 19th century, Great Britain -- Commerce -- Africa, English-speaking West -- History -- 20th century, Africa, English-speaking West -- History -- 19th century, Africa, English-speaking West -- History -- 20th century
Official Date:	April 2019
Dates:	Date Event April 2019 UNSPECIFIED
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of History
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Anderson, David, 1957- ; Riello, Giorgio
Sponsors:	University of Warwick. Department of History
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	380 leaves : illustrations (some colour), colour maps, portraits
Language:	eng

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